In a press conference on Saturday evening the Union health ministry said the COVID-19 death toll in India had risen to 488 with 43 deaths in the last 24 hours. It said that 991 coronavirus cases had been detected, taking the total number of cases in the country to 14,378.
The number of active cases in the country, as per the health ministry website, was at 11,906.
Joint secretary of the Union health ministry Lav Aggarwal told there was a recovery rate of 13.85% in the country with 1992 people cured.
A PIL in the Supreme Court sought safe travels for migrant workers who have borne the brunt of the lockdown and have been stuck, without transportation to go home.
Meanwhile in Delhi number of containment zones increased and Gujarat has decided to carry out plasma transfusion.
Here are the updates for today:
1. Positive Trend In 47 Districts Of 23 States
In the daily presser of the Union health ministry, health secretary Lav Aggarwal said that a positive trend had been seen in 47 districts across 23 states. “No positive cases has been reported in the last 28 days in Mahe of Puducherry, and Kodagu of Karnataka. In 45 other districts, no new positive cases have been reported in last 14 days,” he was quoted by ANI as saying.
Aggarwal said that the mortality rate from COVID-19 in India was only 3.3%. He said that an age-wise analysis revealed that 14.4% death was reported in the age group of 0-45 years, 10.3% in the age group of 45-60 years, 33.1% in the age group of 60-75 years and 42.2% for 75 years and above.
He said that of all the people who had died, 83% had co-morbidities
2. PIL In Supreme Court Seeks Safe Travel For Migrant Workers
ANI reported that a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on Saturday sought permission for migrant labourers who have tested positive for COVID-19 to return home.
The PIL also asked the states to provide transportation for the migrants to return home.
3. Kerala Man Recovers From COVID-19, Dies Of Other Complications
An 85-year- old COVID-19 patient, who was declared cured and was under treatment for kidney and heart related ailments, died early Saturday at a government hospital in Malappuram.
Health Minister K K Shailaja said the patient had been cured of the disease and had been suffering from old age problemsbesides heart and kidney ailments.
All three results of his samples had returned negative, she told reporters in the state capital.
Theoctogenerian was undergoing treatment for heart and kidneyailments and had suffered acardiac arrest on Apr 13 and kidney failure the next day and was on dialysis, she said.
Malappuram District Collector Jafar Malik told PTIthat the patient had been declared cured of the viral infection after his last three samples taken on April 7, 10 and 13 came out negative.
“He was under observation in the ICU and in the last two days there were lot of complications.
Due to his age and earlier diseases the doctors tried their best,but he expired at 4 this morning. It is not a Covid-19 death.”
4. 21 Navy Officers Test Positive In Mumbai
Reports say that 21 officers of the India Navy have tested positive for the coronavirus in Mumbai.
NDTV reported that they have been quarantined in the naval hospital in Mumbai and that an massive operation was on to find the people they have come in contact with.
“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 according to PTI.
There has been no case of coronavirus onboard any of the ships and submarines of the Indian Navy.
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5. Delhi Reports 67 New Cases, 4 Deaths
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 1,707 on Friday, with 67 fresh cases and four deaths being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities.
With four more fatalities reported, the death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi has jumped to 42, while the number of coronavirus containment zones here were increased to 68.
New zones were added in various areas, including in Malviya Nagar and Jahangirpuri, the authorities said.
District Magistrate South Delhi BM Mishra said a zone in Sangam Vihar was contained on Friday after a total of four cases in one house related to the March Nizamuddin congregation were traced.
By Thursday night, the number of cases of the deadly virus in the city stood at 1,640, including 38 deaths.
Out of the total cases, 72 have been discharged and one has migrated out of the country, authorities said.
6. Gujarat Will Carry Out Plasma Transfusion
According to a report in PTI, the state government of Gujarat has decided to try out plasma transfusion treatment on COVID-19 patients to boost their immunity.
This will be carried out in particularly those who are in critical condition, the report said.
The civil hospital and the civic body-run SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad have prepared a detailed proposal about the plasma transfusion treatment for coronavirus patients and submitted it to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for approval, Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi, said.
“We have learned that the ICMR has given approval to the Kerala government for such plasma transfusion treatment.
From Gujarat, Ahmedabad civil hospital and SVP Hospital have sought ICMR’s permission to start this treatment for coronavirus patients,” she said.
(With PTI inputs)