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With the national COVID-19 death toll touching 273 and the number of positive cases reaching 8,447 on Sunday, the Union Health Ministry said India is preparing for a possible exponential increase in cases.
“We would prefer to be too cautious and too prepared,” said a ministry official, admitting that the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in some countries was cause for concern.
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According to data published by the Ministry, the country registered up to 909 new cases and 34 deaths since Saturday night. The deaths included 17 from Maharashtra, five from Delhi and three from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Up to 716 people have been cured / discharged after treatment.
Amid demands to increase health surveillance, the Center said it is expanding the testing capacity of COVID-19 in state and private medical schools.
The Center’s proposals came even as the hand of a Punjab police officer was severed in a brutal attack on a team imposing blockade restrictions amid reports that plans were underway to ease some restrictions during the likely extension of the blocking.
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According to reports from the State Health Departments, the total number of cases was 9,205, with 7,880 active. The death toll was 332.
Maharahstra recorded 149 deaths, with 1,625 active cases, while Tamil Nadu recorded 1,014 active cases, with 11 deaths. Delhi had 1,104 active cases as the number of victims in the national capital increased to 24.
Kerala, however, saw 36 more patients cured of the disease, adding only two positive cases. A total of 179 people have been discharged from the State, with only two deaths reported so far.
Of the total 273 deaths, Maharashtra tops the list with 127 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 36 years old, Gujarat at 22 years old and Delhi at 19 years old. Punjab recorded 11 deaths, Telengana nine deaths and Tamil Nadu 10.
More testing facilities
Addressing the daily press conference, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Health, Lav Agarwal, said that with the average growth rate of more than 4% in recent cases, the government is expanding the testing capacity in state medical institutions and private.
“The government is more prepared if the number of cases increases exponentially,” said the official.
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“Fourteen mentoring institutes, including AIIMS and NIMHANS, have been identified to mentor medical schools and expand testing capacity,” he added.
An official from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said more than 1.86,906 samples had been analyzed across the country. “In the last five days, on average, 15,747 samples were analyzed per day,” added the official.
He said that while more than 40 COVID-19 vaccines were under consideration worldwide, none had entered the testing phase.
On the resurgence of cases in countries like China, Mr. Agarwal said: “This is a new virus and there is much that we are still learning from.” We have taken this new development into account and we are taking it into account very much ”.
Boost to primary care
“We are now focusing on increasing the capacity of the primary medical infrastructure that includes dedicated hospitals, isolation beds, ICU beds and quarantine facilities,” he said.
“Currently, it is estimated that the bed requirement for 8,356 cases is 1,671 (20% of confirmed cases with moderate and severe / critical clinical symptoms), the current availability of beds is 1.05,980 in 601 dedicated hospitals COVID-19 in all the country. The number of isolation beds in dedicated hospitals across the country is increasing further, ”he added.
He added that dedicated hospitals for managing patients with COVID-19 have been increasingly established across the country with several private sector hospitals, public sector units, military hospitals, and Indian railways also contributing. “The Artillery Factory Board has manufactured specialized tents to increase medical infrastructure in remote areas,” he added.
These institutions organized online training modules and webinars for ventilator management, clinical management, infection prevention control, biomedical waste management and epidemiology, and to prepare front-line medical workers, they were also organized mock drills, the ministry noted.
Government spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said the Group of Ministers approved the release of hydroxychloroquine to 13 countries after a stock assessment.
Speaking at the press conference, MHA Joint Secretary P.S. Srivastava said the government is trying to provide essential goods door-to-door at critical points in coordination with civil society. “There is no impediment to the transportation of goods between states or within the state. Godowns can also store products, as they are also exempt. Personnel in essential goods manufacturing units have received passes for trouble-free work. Due to increased web traffic, Home Office Twitter user CyberDost is now providing information about potential cybercrimes to people. “
It was also announced at the conference that the Ministry of Finance has extended the deadline by three months, until June, with mandatory minimum deposits in the accounts of PPF and Sukanya.
