India cases jump by 437 in 24 hours
The spike does not represent a ‘national trend’, says govt
With 437 new cases reported in 24 hours, the number of Covid-19 infected people rose to 1,834 on Wednesday, the health ministry website showed. This was the biggest single-day rise yet.
The number includes 1,649 active cases and 41 deaths so far in the country.
However, the health ministry said the spike did not represent a “national trend” and was primarily because of travel by those who had attended the Tabligh-e-jamaat congregation in the national capital.
“I want to highlight that the rise in the number of positive cases does not represent a national trend, but if there will be a failure anywhere, obviously cases will rise,” said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, health ministry, while addressing the daily press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the country.
He urged people to follow the guidelines of social distancing and lockdown, and avoid congregations and religious gatherings.
He said around 1,800 people in Delhi connected with the Tabligh-e-jamaat congregation had been shifted to nine quarantine centres and hospitals.
Agarwal said the Indian railways was preparing to set up 320,000 isolation and quarantine beds by modifying 20,000 train coaches. Modification of 5,000 coaches for the purpose has already begun.
‘Lifeline’ flights have also been launched by the civil aviation ministry to transport testing kits, medicines, masks and other essentials commodities, Agarwal said, adding that 15.4 tonnes of medical supplies have been transported by these flights in the last five days.