New Delhi (NVI): The impact of lockdown has been seen on the Doubling Rate of Covid-19 cases in the country which improved from 3.4 days in the pre-lockdown week to 12.9 days in the last week, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said today.
Speaking at the 15th meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) held here today, the Health Minister said that India’s recovery rate is now 34.06%.
“So far, a total of 27,920 people have been cured. And if seen in the last 24 hours, 1,685 patients were found cured. This takes the total recovery rate at 34.06%,” Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.
During the meeting, a detailed presentation on the present status of COVID-19 cases globally and within the country was made.
“Worldwide the total number of COVID-19 positive cases stand at 42,48,389 with 2,94,046 deaths and the fatality rate pegged at 6.92%, whereas in India, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases stand at 81,970 with 2,649 deaths and the fatality rate pegged at 3.23%,” the Ministry said.
Apart from that, discussions were held on containment strategy and management aspects of COVID-19, as well as the measures being taken by the Centre and various state governments.
The GoM was briefed that there are 30 municipal areas which constitutes of 79 per cent of India’s total coronavirus case load.
During the meeting, it was also discussed that focus of COVID-19 management strategy needs to be on the States with highest number of confirmed cases and highest number of fatalities, and on treatment and case fatality management, for which timely detection of infection and contact tracing were the best way forward.
The challenges faced by various state and UT governments arising from the returning migrant labourers and the returnees from abroad were also discussed.
The GoM was also apprised about the growing medical infrastructure in the country and was informed that as on today, there are a total of 8,694 facilities comprising of 919 dedicated COVID hospitals, 2,036 COVID Health Centres and 5,739 COVID Care Centres.
In addition to this, a total of 18,855 ventilators are now available to combat COVID-19 in the country, the Ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Central Government has also provided 84.22 lakh N95 masks and 47.98 lakh Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to the states, UTs and central institutions, it said.
Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR who was also present, informed that the testing capacity has increased in the country to 1,00,000 tests per day through 509 government and private laboratories. Nearly 20 lakh cumulative tests have been conducted in the country so far. Advance machines for ramping up the testing facility has also been procured and ordered, he said.
Information regarding the efforts of Ministry of External Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to bring back Indian citizens from various countries was also shared. In Phase-1 of the exercise, around 12,000 Indians have already been brought back and quarantined in the respective states.
Hardeep S Puri, Union Minister of Civil Aviation; S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs; Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs; General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff were present in the meeting, among others.
