The Centre on Sunday said India’s coronavirus recovery rate has crossed 50% after the country reported its biggest single-day jump in infections.
“With 8,049 Covid-19 patients cured in the last 24 hours, the recovery rate has become more than 50%,” the health ministry said. “A total of 1,62,378 patients, so far, have been cured. Currently, the recovery rate is 50.60%. This indicates that of all the cases of Covid-19, half of them have recovered from the disease. Timely case identification and proper clinical management has been the road to recovery.”
It added that 1,49,348 active cases are currently under medical supervision. India is the fourth-worst hit country in the world, with cases rising sharply each day. It reported a record single-day jump in cases on Sunday with 11,929 new infections. The total number of cases has risen to 3,20,922. Despite the rising case load, the recovery rate of patients has continued to exceed the active cases in the last few days. The country is the ninth worst-hit nation in terms of deaths.
Meanwhile, the health ministry said the Indian Council of Medical Research’s coronavirus testing capacity is being continuously increased. “The number of government labs has been increased to 646 and private labs has been increased to 247 [a total of 893],” it added. “In the last 24 hours, 1,51,432 samples were tested. The total number of samples tested thus far is 56,58,614.”
Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to discuss the escalating health crisis in the national Capital. Shah said that the Centre will provide 500 railway coaches to care for the patients as the surge in cases led to a shortage of hospital beds in the city. He added that the coaches will increase Delhi’s capacity by 8,000 beds.
Shah also said the government will also ramp up testing in the city, especially in containment zones, conduct a door-to-door health survey of residents and provide sufficient supplies of oxygen cylinders and ventilators.
The home minister will hold an all-party meeting on Monday to review the situation in Delhi. With more than 38,900 cases, Delhi is the third-worst affected after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Follow today’s live updates on the coronavirus pandemic here.
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