Delhi reports five fresh cases of Covid-19
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Delhi, which has been under lockdown for three days, reported five fresh cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of active cases to 28. As the number of deaths from around the world from the novel coronavirus stood at 19,246 on Wednesday, and more than
427,940 declared cases in
181 countries, the Indian government said that it has ramped up its testing capacity by allowing 29 private diagnostic chains that have over 16,000 collection centres to do
Covid-19 testing. Union health ministry officials said that India now can test 12,000 samples per day. However, all samples are to be collected as per ICMR norms.
From several states, including Delhi, there were reports of long queues outside grocery stores, inflated prices, difficulty in getting important items. With the supply of food, groceries and even medicines severely hit due to the nationwide lockdown, the Central government on Wednesday announced it is setting up a control room to monitor the situation.
The Union home ministry also wrote to the state governments asking them to set up round-theclock control rooms with a helpline number at its headquarters and in each of its districts to ensure seamless availability of essential commodities during the 21-day lockdown period. This came in the wake of reports that those involved in the distribution and delivery of essential commodities and services were facing difficulties due to restrictions on movement despite ecommerce and home delivery coming under essential services and exempted from the lockdown rules. E-commerce players like Big Basket and Grofers complained that their staff were being stopped from delivering goods and at some places even beaten up by police.
Several state governments, including Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, among others, have announced that ration will be delivered to people’s doorstep. Safal, the fruits and vegetable brand of Mother Dairy, announced that all its outlets will open “from 6 am - 2 pm and then 4 pm - 10 pm, in full capacity.” The Central government has also asked states to set up a dedicated helpline number to help healthcare workers and others officials who are working in hospitals handling coronavirus cases as some of them are facing harassment by landlords, neighbours or locals.
The government sought help from its PSUs, including DRDO and BEL, in making PPEs (personal protection equipment), masks etc. Indian Railways’ production units have already started producing sanitisers.
Meanwhile, amid coronavirus outbreak, the government on Wednesday banned export of antimalarial drug hydroxycloroquine with immediate effect to ensure sufficient availability of the medicine in the domestic market.
ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava had on Monday recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers handling suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases and also the asymptomatic household contacts of the labconfirmed cases.
The treatment protocol recommended by the ICMR-constituted National Task Force for Covid19 has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India for restricted use in emergency situations. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said, “The export of hydroxycloroquine and formulations made from hydroxycloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect”.