Covid-19 cases doubling every 7.5 days from 3.4 days before lockdown, says health ministry
Odisha has a doubling rate of 39.8 days, and Kerala, which has managed to contain the virus, has the highest doubling rate of 72.2 days.
The rate of doubling of coronavirus cases in India has reduced from 3.4 days before the lockdown to 7.5 days as of Monday, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. “India’s Covid-19 doubling rate has improved to 7.5 days from 3.4 days before the lockdown,” Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal said at the daily press conference.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 25 announced that a 21-day nationwide lockdown would be imposed to combat the coronavirus. On April 14, the government extended the lockdown period to May 3. India has so far recorded 17,656 cases of Covid-19, according to the ministry, including 559 deaths. As many as 2,841 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
“Delhi has doubling rate of 8.5 days, Karnataka – 9.2 days, Telangana – 9.4 days, Andhra Pradesh – 10.6 days, Jammu and Kashmir – 11.5 days, Punjab – 13.1 days, Chhattisgarh – 13.3 days, Tamil Nadu – 14 days and Bihar – 16.4 days,” Agarwal said. Many states and Union Territories – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Assam, Uttarakhand and Ladakh have a doubling rate between 20 and 30 days.
Odisha has a doubling rate of 39.8 days. Kerala, which has managed to contain the virus, has the highest doubling rate of 72.2 days.
The Union health ministry said that there has been no case of Covid-19 for the last four days in 59 districts in the country. In Goa, which saw seven cases of the virus, all patients have been discharged and no more cases have been reported.
“Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any Covid-19 case in the last 28 days,” Agarwal said. “The number of districts where no case has been reported in last 14 days has increased to 59. Goa is now Covid-free.”
The health ministry also said that 1,553 additional cases had been reported since Sunday.
ICMR member Dr R Gangakhedkar said that 80% of Covid-19 patients are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. On a complaint by the West Bengal government that testing kits have started giving inconclusive results, Gangakhedkar said the kits need to be stored at a temperature below 20°C, otherwise proper results cannot be obtained.