Even as the states are implementing stricter measures and sealing hotspots in different parts of cities to contain the further spread of the deadly virus, the cases only seem to be surging without any respite in sight. Uttar Pradesh has reported over 15 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total count to 410. So far, 4 people in UP have succumbed to the deadly viru.
Northeast also reported its first death where a 65-year-old man died in Hailakandi, Cachar district of Assam, according to the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The state has reported 29 total positive cases of Covid 19.
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Meanwhile, a 78-yr-old woman from Mohali in Punjab, who had died on April 7, was confirmed with the infection. Even two more patients from Gujarat had succumbed taking the death toll in the state to 19 and the total number of cases to 241.
While 14 more cases were reported from Bhopal which includes two women doctors taking the toll in the capital to 112 while the number of cases in Madhya Pradesh has surged past 250-mark.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra remains to be the worst-hit state with around 20 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours, taking the overall infection count to over 1,300.
With 5 new positive cases on Friday, Mumbai's Dharavi slum now has 22 cases, up from Thursday's 17, said a Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation official. Maharashtra notched a whopping 25 deaths, the highest so far, taking the state total to 97.
Union Health Ministry on Friday said the infection rate from coronavirus is not huge according to the samples collected and there is no community transmission in the country so far.
Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said there is no community transmission of the coronavirus viral infection, thus people should not panic. He said the infection rate from coronavirus is not huge, for example out of 16,000 tests in a day, only 2 per cent cases have tested positive.
The ministry official said in January this year, they began with just one lab then scaled it up to 15 labs. "We have done upscaling to 2.5 labs in a day so far", said Agarwal.
As per the Health Ministry, currently 146 government labs are testing samples for COVID-19 and 67 private labs have been given approval to conduct the test.