Gujarat Overtakes Delhi To Become Second Worst-Affected State With Over 2,200 Covid-19 Cases

Following Maharashtra, Gujarat accounts for 2,272 cases and 95 deaths, while New Delhi has witnessed 2,156 cases and 47 deaths so far.

Security personnel wearing facemasks patrol on a deserted street during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Ahmedabad. (Image/ AFP)

Gandhinagar: On Wednesday, the number of positive cases across India has reached 20,471 of which 15,859 cases are currently active, as per the reports of the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, the deadly virus has claimed 652 lives in the country. The total number of cases in Maharashtra crossed the 5,000 mark on Tuesday. The most affected state in the country has registered 5218 confirmed cases and 251 deaths thus far. Following Maharashtra, Gujarat accounts for 2,272 cases and 95 deaths, while New Delhi has witnessed 2,156 cases and 47 deaths so far. On Wednesday, Gujarat crossed the 2,000 mark for confirmed Coronavirus cases. The day saw the maximum number of deaths due to COVID-19, with 19 patients succumbing to the virus the most so far. The state's death toll has now reached 90. Nearing the 1,500 mark, Ahmedabad continued to lead the state after 61 new positive cases were reported in the city, thereby contributing almost 65 percent of the state's total COVID-19 patients. With 94 more positive cases detected in the state, Gujarat now has 2,272 positive cases, the second-highest number after Maharashtra. A total of 95 deaths have been reported in the state, including the five on Wednesday morning. The Coronavirus cases in Gujarat are surging as the state is registering positive cases every day in triple digits more for than 12 days. As the health authorities intensify their surveillance and testing, the number of cases continues to jump. Due to the increased testing, a majority of the 94 fresh positive cases found on Wednesday morning, came from the declared Hotspots. Out of the total 94 positive cases found in the morning, Ahmedabad had the maximum cases 61, followed by Surat 17, Vadodara eight, Aravalli five, Botad two, and one positive case in Rajkot. In Gujarat, there are six districts where the corona has not shown its appearance till now. Not discontinuing the intensified testing in hotspots of Surat and Ahmedabad, but also in other areas of the state, the health authorities carried out a total of 2,516 tests in the last 24 hours, where 206 were found positive and 2,310 negative. The state has carried out a total of 38,059 so far out of which 2,272 have been found positive and 35,787 negative. With this, Gujarat has now 2,272 positive cases. Nearing the 1,500 mark, Ahmedabad has 1,434 cases, followed by Surat 364, Vadodara 207, Rajkot 41, Bhavnagar 32, Anand 28, Bharuch 24, Gandhinagar and Aravalli with 17 each, Patan and Banaskantha with 15 each, Narmada 12, Panchmahals 11, Botad nine, Chotta Udepur and Mahesana with seven each, Kutch six, Dahod four, Porbandar, Kheda, Gir-Somnath, Mahisagar, Valsad and Sabarkantha with three each and Jamnagar, Morbi and Tapi with one each. Jayanti Ravi, the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Gujarat said, "Out of the total 2,033 active cases, the condition of 2,020 is stable while there are 13 patients still are on a ventilator". Gujarat has now become the state with not only the second-highest number of positive cases in the country after Maharashtra, but also as far as the casualties due to corona. The state has till date seen 95 positive cases succumbing to the deadly virus till now. After seeing its highest death toll 19 in a single day on Tuesday, there were five deaths reported on Wednesday morning. The total number of quarantined in the state is 32,317, where 28,591 are home quarantined, 3,426 in government facilities, and 300 in private facilities. Out of the total 90 deaths, 53 people have died in Ahmedabad alone, followed by 12 in Surat, 7 in Vadodara, and 5 in Bhavnagar. Due to the intensified surveillance and testing, a majority of the 112 fresh positive cases were found on Tuesday morning from the declared hotspots, whereas some of the new cases also sprang up in districts where Coronavirus had no presence until now.