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Third COVID-19 Wave Inevitable, May Hit India In 6 To 8 Weeks: AIIMS Chief Randeep Guleria

Third COVID-19 Wave Inevitable, May Hit India In 6 To 8 Weeks: AIIMS Chief Randeep Guleria
Third COVID-19 Wave Could Hit India In 6 To 8 Weeks: AIIMS Chief

A third COVID-19 wave may hit India in less than 6-8 weeks, AIIMS chief Dr. Randeep Guleria told the media on Saturday. Read to know everything.

Written by Satata Karmakar |Updated : June 21, 2021 9:48 AM IST

As India witnesses, a fall in the daily count of coronavirus cases, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Chief Dr. Randeep Guleria has warned that a third COVID-19 wave in India is 'inevitable' and may hit the country in the next 6-8 weeks. Speaking to NDTV, Guleria said, "We don't seem to have learned from what happened between the first and the second wave. Again crowds are building up... people are gathering. It will take some time for the number of cases to start rising at the national level. But it could happen within the next six to eight weeks... maybe a little longer."

Guleria also said that the timing of the third wave will totally depend on how the country proceeds in terms of COVID-appropriate behavior. "While the predictions are that the new wave can take up to three months, it can also take much less time depending on various factors," Guleria quoted as saying. Experts are predicting that a possible third wave of the coronavirus infection could take place if people do not follow outbreak norms like maintaining hygiene and wearing masks.

India Records 60,753 Fresh COVID-19 Cases

With 60,753 new Covid cases being reported in a day, India's total tally rose to 2,98,23,546, while the number of active cases stands at 7,60,019, the lowest in 74 days, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll climbed to 3,85,137 with 1,647 fresh fatalities and active cases comprise 2.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.16 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

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India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 last year. The tally crossed the 2-crore mark on May 4.

The 1,647 new fatalities include 648 from Maharashtra, 287 from Tamil Nadu and 168 from Karnataka. The 3,85,137 deaths reported so far in the country include 1,16,674 from Maharashtra, 33,602 from Karnataka, 30,835 from Tamil Nadu, 24,900 from Delhi, 22,081 from Uttar Pradesh, 17,240 from West Bengal, 15,771 from Punjab and 13,368 from Chhattisgarh.

The health ministry said that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

(With inputs from Agencies)