CENTRE HINTS AT STRICTER NORMS TO CURB CASES

With 6,088 fresh cases, India on Friday registered another alltime high numbers of coronavirus cases in a single day taking the total number of

Covid-19 positives to 1,18,447. So far, 66,330 persons are under active medical supervision while 48,533 have been cured. In the last 24 hours,

3,234 patients have been discharged taking the total recovery rate to 40.98%.

In the last one day, 148 fresh deaths were reported taking the total toll to 3,583.

Ministry of home affairs officials said that if the present trend of high numbers continues, then some stringent measures may have to be taken starting next week during the ongoing Lockdown 4.0.

The MHA officials indicated that some of the earlier relaxations like opening of markets and commercial activities like opening of industries and factories along with use of public transport will have to be regulated further.

Officials said rules related to opening of markets, commercial activities and public transport were being “grossly violated”.

Meanwhile, while one set of researchers tracking Covid-19 trajectory say the worst is yet to come and the figures may touch 5 lakh by October with India reaching its peak by June end, government on Friday quoted various studies indicating worst is over.

Senior officials of the government said Covid-19 cases could have been as high as 14 lakhs to 29 lakhs and deaths between 37,000 and 78,000 had the country not gone for a lockdown in time.

They added that the doubling rate of cases was 3.4 days when lockdown started and is

13.3 days at present. Meanwhile, the government relaxed visa and travel restrictions for certain categories of Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) stranded abroad. In its notification the Ministry of Home Affairs said restrictions imposed via an earlier order “would not apply to any aircraft, ship, train or any other vehicle deployed to bring back OCI cardholders stranded abroad”.