The cumulative figure of the virus infection in the country currently stands at 14,378, which included 11,906 “active” cases in hospitals and another 1,991, who have been cured so far, according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Union health ministry on Saturday confirmed that no new cases of novel coronavirus infection have been reported from 45 districts across 23 states in the country in last 14 days. This has come at a time when the virus continues to spread in other parts, crossing 14,000-mark as on Saturday evening till five.
The cumulative figure of the virus infection in the country currently stands at 14,792 which included 12,289 “active” cases in hospitals and another 2,014, who have been cured so far, according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The death toll due to COVID-19, disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has jumped to 488.
In its regular briefing on Saturday, Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry informed that out of all the COVID-19 deaths in the country 83 per cent of the cases had co-morbid conditions.
Confirming that the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in India is at 3.3 per cent, Aggarwal also provided an an age-wise breakup of the death figures, informing that 42.2 per cent of the deaths – majority – is of those who above the age of 75 years.
14.4 per cent of the deaths has been reported in the age group of 0-45 years. Age group 45-60 years constitutes for 10.3 per cent and 60-75 years for 33.1 per cent.
He said that the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in India currently stands at 3.3 per cent. Giving an age-wise breakup of the death figures, ministry informed that 42.2 per cent of the deaths – majority – is of those who above the age of 75 years.
14.4 per cent of the deaths has been reported in the age group of 0-45 years. Age group 45-60 years constitutes for 10.3 per cent and 60-75 years for 33.1 per cent.
Gujarat: State Count of Cases Now at 1,272; Death Toll at 48
Officials on Saturday confirmed that the number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the Gujarat has jumped to 1,272 after reporting 176 new cases of infection. The state also registered seven more deaths due to COVID-19, taking the toll to rise to 48.
COVID-19 Deaths in Rajasthan Reaches 19
Two people die of novel coronavirus during treatment at state-run hospital in Jaipur, PTI reported on Saturday.
With this, death toll due to COVID-19 in Rajasthan now climbed to 19.
More Than 60 Per Cent Cases in States from Just Three Districts, says Report
Charting out a trend of how the viral infection coronavirus is transmitting in India after three weeks of nationwide lockdown, an analysis by the Indian Express showed that on an average 69 per cent of all “active” cases of coronavirus are concentrated in just three districts in the respective states.
The report added in this trend that in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, three districts in each state accounts for 80 per cent of the COVID-19 cases.
Only exception to this trend being Tamil Nadu, where the cases are spread across the state, according to the analysis.
21 Personnel in Western Naval Command Test Positive
At least 21 Indian Navy personnel serving at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai have tested positive for novel coronavirus, making it first such case of a sizeable number of military personnel being infected with the contagious virus.
“A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai. This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment,” the Navy said in a statement, triggering concerns among the top military brass.
There has been no case of coronavirus onboard any of the ships and submarines of the Indian Navy. The Indian Army has reported eight cases of the deadly virus so far.
Meghalaya Reports Two Fresh Cases
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangam, in a tweet on Saturday, confirmed that two more positive cases detected have been detected in the state, taking the state's total to 10 active cases.
According to him, both cases are from the house of the first patient one is family and other a helper in the house.
Authorities Pressure RWAs Over Installing Arogya Setu App: Report
Days after Prime Minister Naredra Modi urged all to install Arogya Setu App, though not making it mandatory, officials in Delhi have allegedly made it mandatory for people to install the application and have roped in resident welfare and market associations to get compliance report, according to the Times of India.
The development comes despite many data experts and activists raising concerns over the collection of too much of personal data by the application which can allegedly be a potential data used for other surveillance mechanisms.
Arogya Setu App is a coronavirus tracking app that tells a person is he/she came in vicinity to a COVID-19 infected person.
Madhya Pradesh: Sanitation Worker Attacked by Local Mob
Amid various incidents of health workers and civic officials being attacked by locals, on Friday a group of sanitation workers in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district were attacked by a mob as the workers went to neighbourhood to clean the streets, NDTV reported.
On the worker was attacked with an axe and has been admitted to hospital. Adil, main accused according to the police, has been arrested, the report added.
“Sanitation workers from the municipal corporation were working in Koyla Mohalla. Adil attacked Deepak and his colleagues with an axe. When he tried to hold the axe, he got injured. Doctors referred him to Dewas on his complaint. We have registered a case of attempt to murder and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” NDTV reported police officer Sajjan Singh as saying.
All Non-coronavirus Patients from Dedicated Hospitals to Move to Other Facilities by Sunday: Delhi Govt
Delhi government asks officials to move all non-coronavirus patients from dedicated hospitals to other facilities by Sunday, PTI reported.
Online Food Delivery Orders Down by 30 Percent
Only a day after a pizza delivery boy tested positive for coronavirus in the national capital, online food orders took a hit of as much as 30 per cent in last 24 hours, the Times of India reported industry sources as saying.
The further dip in the volume of orders will increase hardships for the delivery companies and especially for the workers, whose payments are incentivised based on the number of orders completed in a day.
List of Permitted Activities Allowed from April 20
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday tweeted a list of “what will remain open all over India with effect from 20th April 2020.” The centre has earlier released a list of service that will resume post April 20, though only in areas that are categorised under non containment zones.
Here’s the complete list:
All health services (including AYUSH)
All agricultural and horticultural activities
Operations of the fishing (marine/inland) aquaculture industry
Plantation activities such as tea, coffee and rubber plantations to remain functional with maximum of 50 per cent workers
Animal husbandry activities
Financial sector
Social sector
MNREGA works are allowed with strict implementation of social distancing and face mask
Public utilities
Movement of loading and unloading of goods/cargo (inter and intra) state is allowed
Online teaching/distance learning to be encouraged
Supply of essential goods
Commercial and Private establishments will be allowed to operate
Industries/Industrial establishments (both government and private)
Construction activities
Private vehicles for emergency services, including medical and veterinary care and for procuring essential commodities and all personnel traveling to place of work in exempted categories as per the instructions of State/UT local authority are allowed
Offices of the government of India and offices of the state and UT governments will remain open
Mortality Rate in India Stands at 3.3 Per Cent
The Union Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in India currently stands at 3.3 per cent. Giving an age-wise breakup of the death figures, ministry informed that 42.2 per of the deaths – majority – is of those who above the age of 75 years.
14.4 per cent of the deaths has been reported in the age group of 0-45 years. Age group 45-60 years constitutes for 10.3 per cent and 60-75 years for 33.1 per cent.
Co-morbidity in 83 Per Cent of COVID-19 Deaths
Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said on Saturday that out of all the COVID-19 deaths in the country 83 per cent of the cases had co-morbid conditions.
Co-morbidity, in medical field, means presence of one or more additional conditions co-occurring with a primary disease.
AICCTU Demands Action Plan for Migrant Workers
All India Central Council of Trade Unions staged a protest on Saturday demanding an action plan from the governments – central and state – for the migrant workers hit by the nationwide lockdown. The central trade union demanded safe return of all workers, free ration for three months and a lockdown subsistence allowance of Rs 10,000 among others.
No Fresh Case from 22 Districts in Last 14 Days
Health ministry also on Saturday confirmed that no new COVID-19 case have been reported from 22 districts in the country in last 14 days.
Lockdown: Plea in SC for Allowing Migrant Workers Return to Hometowns
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to authorities to allow migrant workers across the country to return home after conducting necessary COVID-19 tests and also arrange their safe travel by providing necessary transportation, news agency PTI reported.
The plea filed by Jagdeep S Chhokar, former director in-charge of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and Gaurav Jain, a lawyer, said those migrant workers who test negative for COVID-19 must not be forcefully kept in shelters or away from their homes and families against their wishes.
The plea added that in wake of the extension of the nationwide lockdown, the migrant workers who are among the worst affected category of people must be allowed to go back to their homes after being tested for COVID-19.
Delhi Reports Decrease in COVID-19 Cases in Last Three Days, Says Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that there has been decrease in number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi in past three days.
However, he further informed that his government has so far identified 71 containment zones.
Jahangirpuri has been the latest entry to the list of containment zones after 26 members of a family tested positive for coronavirus in the area, Kejriwal added.
Manipur Releases Prisoners to Decongest Prisons
A total of 69 prisoners were released on Saturday from different jails in Manipur as per the Supreme Court guidelines to decongest prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, PTI quoting official said.
Of the 69 released prisoners, 64 were from Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa and five from Central Jail Imphal, said a statement issued by the Superintendent of Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa, S Touthang.
The prisoners were released on interim bail or parole for three months, the official said.
The prisoners were released to decongest the prisons in view of the outbreak of COVID-19 based on the recommendation of the high powered committee constituted by the state government comprising of Justice Kh Moving Singh, Chief Secretary J Suresh Babu and ADGP (Prisons) P Doungel.
37 Cops in Maharashtra Test Positive
At least 37 police personnel, including eight officers, across Maharashtra have tested coronavirus positive since the outbreak, PTI quoted an official as saying on Saturday.
These police personnel, including 29 constables, possibly came contact with the COVID-19 patients while performing their duty during the lockdown.
“Ever since the lockdown came into force, the police are working round the clock to ensure that people are following the prohibitory orders. While performing their duty in crowded areas and some vulnerable places, these police personnel must have come in contact with the infected persons,” the official said.
Most of these patients are from Mumbai, the official added.
Delivery of Newspapers, Magazines Prohibited in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government on Saturday said door-to-door delivery of newspapers and magazines was prohibited as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, PTI reported.
The state government issued consolidated guidelines to control the spread of the pandemic and gave details about the services which will be partially resumed from April 20.
Although the print media has been exempted from the lockdown from April 20 onwards, door-to-door delivery of newspapers and magazines will be prohibited, given the extent of the spread, the government stated.
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