With the biggest one-day spike of 4,213 cases, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India has mounted to 67,152, including 44,029 active cases. Amid all this, the Union Health Ministry on Monday appealed to the people not to panic but step out and get timely treatment if infected with coronavirus.
During a media briefing here, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, “We have to try together that whoever develops symptoms of Covid-19 should not hide, rather step out and get timely treatment… If we do not do this, we will not only be ill but put our families’ health at risk,” he added.
He said that 97 people have died in the last 24 hours in the country. So far 2,206 patients have died. “A total of 4,216 new cases were reported and 97 people have died in the last 24 hours,” Agarwal said. He emphasised that with 1,159 people cured in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries is at 20,917, which took the recovery rate to 31.15%. “1,559 people have recovered in the last 24 hours. Recovery rate is now at 31.15 per cent,” Agarwal said.
As for the states, Maharashtra accounts for almost a third of the total corona cases, with Gujarat being the second most affected state followed by Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra reported 1,278 new Covid-19 cases and 53 deaths on Sunday, the state health department said. The number of positive cases in the state rose to 22,171. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that the Covid-19 cases are expected to peak in May and suggested that any action on lockdown must be taken cautiously.
“Cases are expected to peak in May, it may peak in June or July also. I have read Wuhan is witnessing a second wave of cases, even WHO has warned about this. So, I suggest that any action on lockdown must be taken cautiously,” Thackeray said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fifth video conference meeting with Chief Ministers.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited the Covid Care Centre (CCC) at Mandoli Jail in the national capital to review status of the pandemic management. He said that continuously observing personal and respiratory etiquettes, social distancing would reap rich dividends in fight against Covid-19. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that the country was proud of medical practitioners for the resilience shown by them in dealing with Covid-19 especially in the last three months. He said doctors and healthcare workers should not be ostracised or targeted and instead lauded for their efforts in helping people. With input from agencies