Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the current hotspots for COVID-19 cases in India as the State reported 20 deaths in 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in the country above 470. Worldwide, over 20 lakh cases have been reported and the overall death toll is nearly 1,40,000.
The Hindu has brought out a multi-language e-book on essential COVID-19 information, in addition to covering the developments related to the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolded. Here is a collection of our daily cartoons on COVID-19.
Here are answers from experts on your queries about the virus, a list of State Helpline numbers, a State-wise tracker for COVID-19 cases, deaths and testing, and a map of confirmed cases in India.
Here are the latest updates:
5.15 pm | Haryana
Industries, including Maruti in Manesar, can resume operations in a phased manner in Haryana’s COVID-19 non-containment zones, says Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala.
– PTI
4.45 pm | Karnataka
A health worker carrying CSIR-CFTRI high protein biscuits to the Covid-19 patients being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A health worker carrying CSIR-CFTRI high protein biscuits to the Covid-19 patients being treated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi have been fed with high-protein biscuits whose recipe was developed at the Mysuru-based CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI).
The Institute supplied 500 kg of high protein biscuits and 500 kg of high protein rusks to the Department of Dietetics of the AIIMS following an appeal from the AIIMS management for the nourishment of patients.
4.30 pm | New Delhi
Will be able to procure 10 lakh rapid test kits by May: Health spokesperson
Work is underway on indigenous production of RTPCR kits. “By May we will be able to produce 10 lakh rapid test kits,” Health Ministry spokesperson says.
“Capacity for 6,000 ventillators per month has been created. 1,919 dedicated hospitals and healthcare centres have been set up, 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds have been made available,” the spokesperson says.
Kerala has done well on its containment strategy, contact tracing and testing, the Health spokesperson says and adds that similar efforts were being made in other parts of the country.
Different genome sequences
The ICMR representative says that over 3.19 lakh tests have been conducted till yesterday. In one day, 28,340 tests were conducted.
He says that people in different countries have come with different genome sequences of the virus. “It won’t impact the type of medicine/vaccine, as the enzymes used in different strands are the same. This virus does not mutate much
,” he adds.
According to some research, BCG re-vaccination has to be done in the adolescent phase. Till we have evidence of its effectiveness, we won’t prescribe it for health workers, he concludes.
– Devesh Pandey
4.10 pm | New Delhi
13% of the cases have been cured so far: Health Ministry spokesperson
Home Ministry spokesperson during the daily government briefing on COVID-19 says, “Cooperative Credit Societies have been allowed to function with minimum staff.” Water, roadways and residential projects in rural areas have also been given exemptions, he adds.
Over 100 tonnes of supplies have been transported to hospitals and individuals by the Indian Postal Service personnel. Over 2 lakh postal employees have been providing door-to-door service to the elderly, widows and differently-abled. They have also been helped to make banking transactions.
The spokesperson says, till now, 1,749 people have been cured, constituting over 13% of the cases. There have been 13,387 confirmed cases so far, including 1,007 new ones.
The doubling rate of spread is 6.2 days in the past seven days, says the Health Ministry spokesperson. There are 19 States and Union Territories where doubling rate is below the national average.
40% decline in growth factor
This is a product of how we are trying to manage the situation. The growth factor was was 1.2 on April 1, while between March 15 to March 31 it was 2.1. There has been a 40% decline in the growth factor.
The outcome ratio, which is the number of recovered cases over deaths, is 80%. 80% cases are recovering, compared to 20% deaths.
5 lakh rapid anti-body test kits are being distributed to the States, the spokesperson says.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, The Department of Bio-technology, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy are contributing through their 30 labs to increasing testing capacity.
Partnering to develop drugs
“Work on in viral sequencing is in progress, we are working with global partners to develop effective vaccines. It is a time consuming effort and we are trying to accelerate it. Work on plasma therapy is also going on. Also on effective drugs. There are several potential drugs, but none of them have proven results. India is partnering with WHO in the trials. Existing drugs are being reevaluated for use in treating Covid-19 patients. Traditional medicine systems are also being explored,” he says.
– Devesh
4 pm | New Delhi
Containment ops to be scaled down if no secondary COVID-19 case reported for 4 weeks
Containment operations will be scaled down if no secondary positive case of COVID-19 is reported from a quarantine zone for at least four weeks after the last confirmed test has been isolated and all his contacts have been followed up for 28 days, the Union Health Ministry said.
According to the ministry’s “Updated containment plan for large outbreaks COVID-19”, a containment operation (large outbreak or cluster) is deemed to be over 28 days from the date the last case in that zone tests negative.
The closing of the surveillance for the clusters could be independent of one another provided there is no geographic continuity between clusters. However, the surveillance will continue for severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI).
– PTI
3.50 pm | New Delhi
Modi govt. leaving no stone unturned to fight COVID-19: Amit Shah
“Modi government is leaving no stone unturned in this fight against COVID-19, ensuring minimum disruption in people’s lives while planning for a strong and stable India in days ahead,” Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.
Complimenting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the steps taken to boost the economy, Mr. Shah said such action will further reinforce Mr. Modi’s vision.
Coronavirus | Modi govt. leaving no stone unturned to fight COVID-19, says Amit Shah
3.50 pm | Kerala
The students of Thrissur Government Engineering College have come up with an invention to support the on-going preventive mission against COVID-19. They have prepared a COVID WISK (Walk-in Sample Kiosk) for safe collection of sample of symptomatic people.
Engineering students make walk-in sample collection kiosk in Thrissur
3.40 pm | Haryana
Nuh and Panchkul districts report fresh cases
Coronavirus cases in Haryana rose to 221, with Nuh and Panchkula districts reporting fresh cases.
While worst-hit Nuh reported five cases, Panchkula, which saw a surge after nine members of a family earlier tested positive, reported two more cases, according to the State’s Health department bulletin.
– PTI
3.25 pm | Tamil Nadu
12 patients discharged in Coimbatore
12 patients were discharged from Government Medical College and ESI Hospital after recovering from COVID-19 in Coimbatore.
The patients were discharged after 14 days of treatment and will be under 14 days of house quarantine after their discharge. With this, 26 patients have been discharged from ESI Hospital so far, officials said.
12 patients discharged in Coimbatore after recovering from COVID-19
3.20 pm | Maharashtra
Maharashtra’s tally at 3,236
At least 34 new COVID-19 cases were reported in about 12 hours from Maharashtra — the majority of them being from Pune. With this the State’s cumulative tally had touched 3,236 on Friday, said State health officials.
In all, 23 of the new cases were reported from Pune, while only six were from Mumbai as of now. Four more were reported from Malegaon in Nashik and one from Thane district, said authorities.
Coronavirus: 34 new cases reported in Maharashtra as tally goes up to 3,236
3.15 pm