According to Crisil Research, the economic impact of the second wave of novel coronavirus has remained minimal so far in India with less stringent restrictions. “Few countries have escaped a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and it is India’s turn now, with daily cases crossing the previous peak of September 2020. And this wave is spreading faster than the first, though with a lower fatality ratio,” Crisil said in a statement.
“Initially concentrated in Maharashtra, new cases are slowly dispersing to other states, which have seen some dip in mobility towards end-March. So far, though, the economic impact remains minimal, with localised restrictions. Maharashtra, the worst impacted state, has introduced somewhat stringent restrictions that will temper mobility and contact-based services,” it added.
The statement added that mobility at the all-India level has remained nearly unaffected ever since a boom in cases since mid-February. However, mobility in Maharashtra is beginning to weaken.
From March 29 to April 4, the covid cases surged from 68,000 to over 1 lakh. Of the total cases during the same period, Maharashtra accounted for 55 percent of new covid-19 cases. Even though Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab accounted for fewer share, these states witnessed the highest growth rate in new news cases after Maharashtra.