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COVID-19 cases cross 500 in Maharashtra, Health Minister says 'no shortage of PPE kits'

Coronavirus India Latest Updates: A total of 68 persons have died due to COVID-19 as the number of confirmed cases in the country climbed to 2,902 on Saturday, as per the last update from the Union Health Ministry. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 2,650, 183 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated to another country, it said.

However, according to the ministry's state wise updated data as of now, six fresh deaths were reported — three from Maharashtra, two from Delhi and one from Gujarat. Thus, Maharashtra has reported the most deaths (19) so far, followed by Madhya Pradesh (11), Telangana (7), Gujarat (9), Delhi (6), Punjab (5), Karnataka (3), West Bengal (3), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttar Pradesh (2) and Kerala (2). Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have reported a death each. The figure of 2,902 includes 55 foreign nationals.

India had reported 478 new cases on Friday, the highest single-day spike so far. Over 25 per cent of the positive cases so far are linked to the Tablighi Jammat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

Maharashtra reports highest number of COVID-19 cases

The highest number of confirmed cases of the pandemic was reported from Maharashtra at 537 followed by Tamil Nadu with 411 infections. The number of cases in Delhi has gone up to 386, in Kerala to 295, in Rajasthan to 179 and in Uttar Pradesh to 174. In Andhra Pradesh, cases have increased to 161 while Telengana has 158 positive patients so far.

The cases in Karnataka have risen to 128. Madhya Pradesh has reported 104 cases so far, Gujarat 105 while Jammu and Kashmir has 75 positive patients so far. The number of cases has risen to 63 in West Bengal.

Punjab has reported 53 cases of COVID-19 so far followed by Haryana with 49 cases. Bihar has 29, Assam has 24, Chandigarh 18, Uttarakhand 16 and Ladakh has reported 14 cases so far. Ten cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Chhattisgarh has nine positive patients so far. Goa and Himachal Pradesh have reported six coronavirus cases each. Odisha and Puducherry have five cases each. Jharkhand and Manipur have reported two cases each while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each.

Govt puts curbs on export of diagnostic kits with immediate effect

The government has put curbs on exports of diagnostic kits with a view to discourage shipments amid the coronavirus outbreak. "The export of diagnostic kits (diagnostic or laboratory reagents on a backing, preparation diagnostic or laboratory reagents)… is restricted with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. The move would help in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis as these kits are required for testing of patients. Earlier, exports of these products were allowed without any restrictions. Putting them under the restricted category would mean that an exporter will now require a licence from the DGFT for outbound shipments.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the procurement process for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits, N95 masks, ventilators is in the advanced stage and these will reach the states soon. He, however, said that "there is no shortage as of today".

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has urged people to use homemade face masks, saying "such people who are not suffering from any medical condition or having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they step out of their house."

France on Saturday evacuated 112 French citizens stranded in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in a special Air India flight, news agency PTI reported quoting its official sources. The Embassy of France had made a request to the Kerala government to facilitate the journey of the French citizens stranded due to the lockdown announced by the central government to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The French citizens, mostly tourists and those who came for Ayurvedic treatment, were brought here by the state tourism department 24 days ahead of their trip. They underwent a medical examination before boarding the flight for Paris from Cochin International Airport at 08.13 am on Saturday. The Air India flight was chartered by the French government for evacuating its citizens in various cities in India including Kochi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. On Friday, Gulf nation Oman had evacuated its 46 citizens stranded in Kochi in an Oman Air flight.

Meanwhile, under Lifeline Udaan initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 107 flights have been operated till April 3 for transporting medical cargo of total 138.81 tonnes across the country.

In lockdown, volatility marks price rise in potatoes, onions, pulses and sugar

In what clearly indicates supply-side disruptions after states enforced lockdown to stymie the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, wholesale prices of essential commodities, especially vegetables, have shown a sharp increase during the last fortnight of March.

(Inputs and image from theindianexpress.com)

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