COVID-19: Cases in India rise to 12,759, death toll at 420
NEW DELHI : India entered the 23rd day of its nationwide lockdown on Thursday. The total number of positive cases in India crossed the 12000 mark and the death toll surged past the 400-mark.
Health Ministry on Thursday claimed that there has been decrease in fresh Covid-19 cases and death rates in the last 24 hours. As per the ministry, 826 positive cases and 28 deaths have been reported since Wednesday. The total number of positive cases 12,759.
So far this week, the number of cases has gone up by 41 percent (between Sunday evening and Wednesday evening). This is a slightly slower increase compared to the previous three days, when confirmed cases had risen by 44 percent. Meanwhile, China on Thursday dispatched 650,000 coronavirus medical kits to India to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
India’s case count is now roughly double what it was seven days ago. This is a slower rate compared to a few days ago, when cases were doubling every four days. At the current rate of compounded growth, the number of cases could rise to 20,000 in the next five days. If the same trajectory continues beyond that period, India’s hospitals could get overwhelmed in the next few months.
Delhi has the second most number of active cases (1,501), closely followed by Tamil Nadu (1,111). At 870 active cases, Madhya Pradesh has the fourth-highest number of active cases, followed by Rajasthan (855). In Delhi, a pizza delivery boy tested positive after which 72 people in Malviya Nagar locality have been put under home quarantine while 17 of his colleagues have been put under institutional quarantine.
The top five states together account for 65 percent of the active cases nationally, and the top ten states account for 89 percent of all cases. Nationally, the active case count was 10,197 as of yesterday evening.
However, as a recent study by public health researchers show, some states with lower testing also have relatively higher fatality rates as they were unable to detect cases early. As testing gets ramped up in some of these states, the number of reported cases could change significantly.
In what can be considered as a positive sign of flattening curve of Coronavirus outbreak in the country, Health Ministry on Thursday claimed that there has been decrease in fresh Covid-19 cases and death rates in the last 24 hours. As per the ministry, 826 positive cases and 28 deaths have been reported since Wednesday. The total number of positive cases 12,759.
There has been no coronavirus case in 325 of the 736 districts in India and also no one has tested positive in 27 districts of 17 states in the past 14 days, according to the Union Health Ministry. In the past 24 hours, 941 fresh Covid-19 cases and 37 deaths had been reported, said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary at the Health Ministry. Stating that 12.02 per cent people have recovered from the coronavirus infection.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference via video conferencing and suggested the government to increase the testing capacity of the country. He warned the government of impending food shortage, and joblessness that will follow the Coronavirus crisis.
(With Agency Inputs ).
