No COVID-19 case has been reported in 10 states and Union territories in the last 24 hours and the recovery rate has increased to over 30 per cent, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday, asserting that India was moving fast on the path of success in the fight against the pandemic.
According to health ministry data, 1,511 COVID-19 patients recovered in the last 24 hours -- the highest number of recoveries recorded in one day.
India carried out 86,000 tests for COVID-19 on Saturday and India's testing capacity now stands at 95,000 samples per day, Vardhan told reporters after inspecting a COVID-19 care centre in the Mandoli area in the national capital.
India had started from one laboratory and now there are 472 laboratories testing for COVID-19, he said. Till Saturday, 16,09,777 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in India, he said. "We are moving fast on path of success in the fight against COVID-19," Vardhan said.
He also said that central teams are being sent to Delhi and nine states to assist their governments in managing the outbreak. The states where teams are being sent are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and West Bengal.
The government is making all efforts at every level to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the fight against COVID-19 anywhere and states are given all help they need, Vardhan said.
Talking about the status of containment of COVID-19 in the country, Vardhan said, "Prior to lockdown, on March 25, 2020, the doubling rate was 3.2 when measured over a period of 3 days, 3.0 when measured over a period of 7 days and 4.1 when measured over a period of 14 days. Today it stands at 12.0 over a three-day window, 10.1 over a seven-day window and 11.0 when measured over a 14-day window."
Similarly, the fatality rate stands at 3.3 per cent while recovery rate has improved to 30.7 per cent, he said, asserting that the situation has improved due to the lockdown.
This also reflects on the quality of healthcare being provided to the COVID-19 patients, he added. "It is also heartening to note that in 10 States/UTs, no new case has emerged in the last 24 hours -- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Goa, J&K, Ladakh, Manipur, Odisha, Mizoram, Puducherry," Vardhan said.
There are four states/UTs -- Daman & Diu, Sikkim, Nagaland and Lakshadweep -- that have not reported a single case till date, he said. India has total 36 states and Union territories.
"Adequate healthcare infrastructure and facilities have been set-up across the country for COVID-19 management. These have been divided into three categories viz. Dedicated COVID Hospitals (DCHs), Dedicated COVID Health Centres (DCHCs) and COVID Care Centres (CCCs) with adequate number of isolation beds, ICU beds and other facilities," Vardhan said.
"A total of 855 Dedicated COVID Hospitals have been identified across the country with 1,65,723 Beds (1,47,128 Isolation Beds plus ICU Beds); 1,984 Dedicated COVID Health Centres with 1,31,352 Beds -- 1,21,403 Isolation Beds + 9,949 ICU Beds; and, 4,362 COVID Care Centres with 3,46,856 beds," he said. Delhi has 17 COVID Care Centres with a capacity for around 5,000 beds, Vardhan said.
While stressing upon wearing masks or face-covers, washing hands regularly and observing physical distancing, Vardhan said, "These habits will help us in combating COVID-19 as well as other diseases also."
"Government's efforts have proven successful in the past to eradicate Small Pox and Polio. Together we will also fight and defeat coronavirus," said Vardhan.
He also informed that States/UTs as well as Central institutions have been provided with around 72 lakhs N-95 masks and around 36 lakh Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
"Based on the active COVID-19 confirmed cases being treated as on date, we have noticed that only 2.48% of these COVID cases have required ICU facility, only 1.94% of them have required oxygen support while mere 0.40% have required ventilator support," Vardhan said.
Vardhan stated that 20 countries of the world where maximum cases have been reported, have total population which is almost equal to the population of India i.e. 135 crore and they have collectively till date reported almost 84 times the number of cases in India.
In case of mortality these top 20 countries have reported 200 times the number of deaths reported in India, he said.
This containment of the disease in India has been possible due to proactive, pre-emptive and graded approach taken by the central government in collaboration with the States/UTs, he asserted.
Vardhan also hailed the "corona warriors" for their untiring efforts in the fight against coronavirus.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,109 and the number of cases climbed to 62,939 in the country on Sunday, registering an increase of 128 deaths and 3,277 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
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