India Has Crossed COVID-19 Peak: Govt Panel

New Delhi: A government-appointed panel on Sunday said that India has crossed the COVID-19 peak and predicted that the epidemic may come under control in the country by February 2021.

The committee, presided by Professor M Vidyasagar of IIT Hyderabad, has used computer models to chart the trajectory of the epidemic in the nation, NDTV reported.

The key finding of the panel was that the epidemic is likely to have peaked in the middle of September, and the total number of infections in the country is unlikely to exceed beyond 106 lakh (10.6 million).

“If all protocols are followed, the pandemic can be controlled by early next year with minimal active cases by February end,” a member of the panel was quoted by NDTV.

The committee also said that upcoming festivals and winter season might “increase the susceptibility” of the people, and thus, recommended the continuation of protective measures. 

The panel also claimed that the lockdown imposed in late March has resulted in slowing down the spread of the disease in the country. In case of no lockdown, the death toll would have gone up to 25 lakh, it said. Although, the panel has discouraged further lockdowns as “undesirable”, the committee said they probably would not have any significant impact.

The total number of cases stand at 74,94,551, while the current death toll is 1,14,031, as per the Health Ministry data released on Sunday.