The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India has reported a slight decrease in COVID cases since yesterday. As of February 17, 2022 (8:00 IST), there has been a total of 30,747 new cases reported across India.
Kerala has reported 12,223 at this time. Maharashtra registered 2,748 cases, and Karnataka stands at 1,894 cases at this time. Today’s number is slightly lower than yesterday’s and below the 200,000 mark that was previously reported.
This is the tenth day that the cases have fallen below 100,000. Despite the decrease in cases, public precaution is still advised. Social Distancing, vaccination, and wearing masks is still recommended.
As cases begin to decline, many are asking if the pandemic should be reclassified as an endemic. There are many opinions from health experts.
Dr. Samiran Pande, head of the epidemiology division at ICMR says that further studies are needed. “The COVID-19 infection is barely two years old. We are still studying its patterns,” he said.
Christian Medical College professor Dr. Gagandeep Kang said that it already is endemic in India. He added that people should start learning how to live with the virus.
COVID-19 task force member, Dr. Shahank Joshi said it’s premature to say that we are on the endemic stage. “Terms such as herd immunity and endemicity make for good narratives. But we have to go by facts and evidence,” he said.
Follow us for more India COVID updates.