COVID-19 : Biggest Spike,India reports over 23,000 cases; 723 deaths
NEW DELHI : India registered 1,752 new coronavirus cases on Friday – its biggest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic – taking the total to 23,452. The number of deaths rose to 723 with 37 more people dying from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.
Earlier in the day, the government said that a total of 4,748 people have recovered so far, taking the share of recovered patients to 20.57 per cent of the total active cases – also the highest yet.
Among those who tested positive was Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad. According to a report in Indian Express, he was admitted to hospital on Tuesday night, 10 days after he had put himself under home quarantine after coming in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus.
The report quoted sources close to the NCP leader as saying that he was moved to a private hospital after developing fever. A hospital spokesperson said his condition was stable.
As India completes a month under lockdown that brought the world’s most populous democracy to a virtual standstill, with no or very minimal social and economic activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, several medical experts feel that these restrictions were crucial in preventing a “US or Europe-like” situation from materialising in the country.
The Centre has said India has been able to cut “community transmission” and minimise its spread by in creating the doubling rate 10 days since the start of the lockdown on March 25. India’s doubling rate of coronavirus cases has improved to 10 days, from 7.5 days reported earlier this week, the centre said.
It also said that there are 80 districts now where no new cases have been reported in the last 14 days, suggesting the chain of transmission has been broken.”Till date, there are 80 districts in the country that have reported no new cases in the last 14 days. The chain of transmission is being broken by the collective efforts of people and administration.
The doubling rate of the cases is considered a marker of how fast the infection is spreading. Based on the data, the government had earlier extended the nationwide lockdown to until May 3.
(With Agency Inputs ).
