No community spread, says ICMR; Centre launches PM Cares Fund Covid cases cross 900 mark, 179 in 24 hrs
In spite of the countywide lockdown, the number of novel coronavirus cases continue to rise at a worrying high pace in India. A total of 179 fresh cases and three deaths (in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala) were reported since Friday, the highest in 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases in India to 918.
Though questions are being raised on community transmission as several experts and reports claim that at least 12 people who have tested positive for Covid-19 had no history of foreign travel, ICMR maintains that there is no community transmission so far. Brushing aside the allegation that the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced without any planning, the government said on Saturday that India’s response to Covid-19 has been “pre-emptive, proactive and graded”.
“We have been pre-emptive and graded in our approach and had anticipated the situation much before, and went for a lockdown when we were getting limited cases of local transmission while other countries took steps much later. The results of lockdown will be known later,” Mr Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary in health ministry, said.
The rising number of positive cases has prompted the government to shift its focus on disease hotspots, rigorous contact tracing, community surveillance and containment strategies.
The total number of active cases in India on
Saturday stood at 819 while 20 deaths have been reported so far. In all, about 79 people have been cured and one has migrated. The three people who died on Saturday were elderly, had co-morbid conditions. While two had contact with people with foreign travel history, the 69-year-old coronavirus patient who died at the Kalam-assery Medical College in Kochi had travelled to Dubai. Maharashtra (210) and Kerala (187) continued to report the highest number of positive cases.
Though Kerala reported its first Covid-19 death, the Union health ministry has not confirmed it yet.
So far, five deaths have been reported from Maharashtra, three from Gujarat, two from Karnataka, two from Madhya Pradesh and one each from Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. With private labs now also conducting Covid-19 tests, government said more people can be screened. Union health ministry officials said that efforts are on to ensure 100 per cent lockdown so that social distancing gets implemented.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the creation of an assistance and emergency situation relief fund that he said will go a long way in creating a healthier India. “People from all walks of life expressed their desire to donate to India’s war against Covid-19,” PM said, adding the fund, PM CARES Fund, has been constituted respecting that spirit.