Amid a surge of new COVID-19 infections across the country, Maharashtra is in the headlines again, a state that faced the brunt of COVID cases in 2020 and on 18 March, reported 25,833 new cases – the biggest ever one-day spike in the state.

And one city is holding the torch for being the national COVID hotspot again – Pune, where every third case in the state has been recorded. It is also the home of Serum Institute of India, the manufacturer of Covishield, one of the two vaccines approved for emergency use in India.

Pune district reported 2,612 new COVID cases on 17 March and has reported a 10 times rise in daily cases, compared to case figures of 31 January.

While case fatalities are not high when compared to past figures and surges, the larger question is, what is triggering this sudden surge of cases in the city? Is it the reluctance of Puneites to follow COVID-19 appropriate behavior or are we seeing the rise of new COVID variants?

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram Guest: Dr Varsha Dange, Nodal Medical Officer for Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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