New Delhi: India recorded 3,320 fresh cases and 95 more deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 59,662 and toll to 1,981, while Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan maintained that the country does not anticipate a worst type of situation, as happened in developed countries, adding that even if it happens, the country was fully prepared to tackle it.
With a continuous significant spike in infections, the doubling rate has reduced to 9.9 days, a sign of worry. The burden of 60,000 cases have placed India at 14th position across the Covid-affected countries.
'We have dedicated 843 hospitals exclusively for Covid patients, which have about 1,65,991 beds. Across the country, there are 1,991 dedicated Covid health centres, which have 1,35,643 beds. These include isolation as well as ICU beds," Mr Vardhan said, while holding a video-conference with Health Ministers of the states.
The Minister further informed that there are more than 7,500 quarantine centres across the country and around 33 lakh PPE kits have been distributed to state governments.
The death rate stands at 3.3 per cent, as per the latest update from the Union Health Ministry.
On the better side, with 1,307 more patients recovering from the deadly virus, the recovery rate has risen to 29.9 per cent, indicating that almost one-third of the patients could challenge the infection and overcome it.
The virus is spreading rapidly in Maharashtra as the state saw 1,089 new cases and 37 more deaths. With 19,063 total cases and 731 deaths, it remained the worst-affected state.
Gujarat, at distant second in state-wise tally with 7,402 cases and 24 deaths, recorded 449 new infections and 24 more fatalities.
Delhi registered 338 new cases and two more deaths, taking the tally to 6,318, toll to 64 and placing the National Capital at the third position.
COVID cases are skyrocketing in Tamil Nadu, as the tally breached the 6000-mark with the registration of 600 new cases. Two more deaths have taken the toll to 40, while the infections stand at 6,009.
The Union Health Ministry revised it's discharge guidelines for Covid patients, stating that only those with severe illness need to be tested through a swab test, while other category of patients, including very mild, mild, pre-symptomatic and moderate cases need not be tested before discharge.
Dr Vardhan held a meeting with the the north-eastern states. 'It is a huge relief and very encouraging to see green zones in most North Eastern States. As of date, only Assam and Tripura have active COVID-19 cases; the other States are all in the green zone,' the Minister said.
The government informed that as many as 1,458 stranded Indians have been brought back home in the first two days of 'Vande Bharat Mission'.
A total number of 359 Tamil Nadu residents, who were stranded in Dubai due to grounding of flights in the wake of Coronavirus lockdown, arrived by Air India at the Anna International airport here.
As the states continued to reel under the economic fallout from the lockdown, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel once again wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting for early release of package of Rs 30,000 crore to the state.
Mr Baghel said that if the economic package was not approved soon, then it would not be possible to restore normal operations in the state.
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