The eight sisters of the north-east observed a rise in cases during the second wave, but still only constitute 2% of the country’s total cases.

India’s north-eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya which constitute 3.75% of India’s population make up 2% of India’s COVID-19 cases.

The largest of these states, Assam which also borders West Bengal, a recent COVID hotspot, has the highest number of COVID cases and deaths in the region.

The second wave, which hit India in April 2021 saw an unprecedented increase in the number of daily cases - over 5 times the number of cases reported in February 2021. The north-eastern states also reported an increase in cases during this period. However, the impact of the second wave has been more severe in some states over others.

At its peak, Assam reported over 6000 cases per day, compared to 1000 cases in Manipur and Meghalaya. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram, the least populated states, reported less than 400 cases per day.

Cases are on the decline in Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, whereas they seem to be plateauing in Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh which didn’t observe a steep rise in cases during the second wave.

Vaccinations are currently being administered in the region by local governments.

Author

Bhargavi Saikia

Bhargavi works as a Data Analyst at HealthLEADS, specialising in data cleaning, analysis and visualisation. With a keen eye for patterns and a penchant for clarity, Bhargavi brings data to life, bridging the gap between raw data and storytelling.

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