Covid cases inch closer to 43,000, as India adds 2,000 more in a day

88 deaths reported today, overall toll at 1,389. So far 11,762 patients have been cured, taking recovery rate to 27.5%

For the third day in succession India added more than 2,000 cases in a single day taking the total close to 43,000, with the death toll reaching 1,389 as on Monday according to health ministry data.

“This is a geometric progression...We have increased our doubling time to 12 days and have to improve this further,” said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, health ministry. 

Fresh cases on Monday reached a record high of 2,573 and 88 deaths in a single day. So far 11,762 patients have been cured taking India’s recovery rate to 27.5 per cent. 

“We are transitioning into a new normal...Protocols of social distancing have to be followed to avoid a fresh spike in cases,” Agarwal added. 

Some 112 districts accounting for 22 per cent of the total population have reported only 610 cases. “These are aspirational districts which account for less than 2 per cent of the national Covid count,” said Amitabh Kant, chairperson of the empowered group on NGOs and private and international organisations. 

India has carried more than 60,000 tests since Sunday evening taking the number of total tests so far to 11,07,233, according to Indian Council of Medical Research data. 

Long queue for liquor was witnessed on almost all the wine shops in delhi (Photo- Sanjay K. Sharma)

There are, as of now 426 labs available for testing, of which 111 are private and remaining are government facilities. 

Kant said that around 30,000 RT-PCR test kits were donated to India by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 70,000 by Temasek Foundation. 

He said that more than 92,000 NGOs and civil society organisations were mobilised across the country to provide food to migrant labourers and the homeless population and to build Covid- related awareness among communities in the last few weeks. 

Kant also said that entrepreneurs and innovators have been quick to respond to the challenge posed by the pandemic. Start-ups incubated in IIT Kanpur and IIT Hyderabad, for instance are developing low- cost, easy-to-use, and portable ventilators that can be deployed even in rural areas of India. Apps have also been launched offering online consultation with doctors and tests at home. 

“NITI Aayog extensively engaged with Indian Start Ups, Start Ups of Indians in the US and other countries to better leverage their new innovative, low cost designs, applications, and equipment by linking them up with big industry platforms,” Kant said. 

A press statement by Niti Aayog also said that Aarogya Setu was the “world's fastest-growing mobile application with more than 80 million installations on the Google Play Store, just days after its launch.”