Covid-19 cases post biggest daily rise, toll tops China’s

India yesterday not only recorded its largest jump in new cases as it added 7,466 new Covid patients in 24 hours, emerging as the ninth worst-hit country in the world by pandemic, but it also surpassed China’s toll of 4,638 so far as it recorded 4,706 deaths.

While China was the first country to report the disease last December and recorded over 84,000 total cases so far, India, which its first case in January end, now has 1,65,799 cases. This is more than Turkey’s (1,60,979).

The only good news for India is that it has shown a 42.88% recovery with 71,105 of the patients who contacted the disease being cured and sent back home.

In the past one day, 175 deaths were also reported.

Delhi and Tamil Nadu showed a jump of around 1,000 cases as Maharashtra continued to contribute a lion’s share. It is the worst hit state and has reported 59,546 cases so far. Tamil Nadu now has 19,372 cases and Delhi 16,281 cases.

Gujarat reported 15,562 cases, Rajasthan 8,067, Madhya Pradesh 7,453 and Uttar Pradesh 7,170.

Kerala which had almost flattened the curve is witnessing a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, there are now 1,088.

Citing statistics, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday said that even though cases in Kerala are increasing, there is no community spread of Covid-19 cases in the state.

“The test positivity ratio in Kerala is below 2% and stands at 1.7%, while the national average is 5%. Likewise, the case fatality ratio is 0.5%. If these two ratios are high, then it is said that adequate testing is not there. Another reason why there is no community spread is because of contact tracing and scientific quarantine protocols in place here,” he said.

Vijayan said that there were 62 fresh positive cases yesterday, of which 33 came from abroad and 23 from outside the state.

This includes two Air India cabin crew members besides two who returned to jail after their parole ended.

“At present, there are 577 positive cases and the total positive cases stand at 1,150. Today, there are 1,23,087 who are in isolation at centres, and homes and 1,080 are at hospitals. Yesterday 22 more hot spot areas have been announced taking the total to 101 in the state.”

Vijayan also reiterated that there need be no worry of any community spread in the state and by now, over 80,000 tests have been conducted. “We recorded the first positive case in the country on January 30 and after 100 days, we successfully flattened the curve. Now if we look into statistics, in Kerala, when 71 persons are tested, there is one positive, while in the country, it stands at 23:1. Another indicator that Kerala is far away from a community spread is when we look into the number of those who have turned positive from contacts. Of the present 577 positive cases, it is just 45 (10.09%) who turned positive from contacts, while the national average is above 20%,” he said.

The number of coronavirus cases have also spiked in the northeast, with Assam having 856 cases.

Other states and union territories have also reported steady increase and West Bengal now seeing 4,536 cases, Telangana (2,256), Punjab (2,158), Jammu and Kashmir (2,036), Bihar (3,296) and Andhra Pradesh(3,251).

India is currently in the fourth phase of lockdown which is till May 31.