India now 10th in Covid count with 1,38,845 cases; recovery rate improves to 41.57%

With this, India has overtaken Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart.

A total of 57,721 patients have recovered with 3,280 patients added to the numbers in the past 24 hours while 160 deaths were reported in the 24 hours. This takes the recovery rate to 41.57 per cent and the number of deaths due to Covid-19 to 4,021, as per government data.

The number of cases under active medical supervision is 77,103.

Through a graded, pre-emptive and pro-active approach, the central government is taking several steps along with the states/union territories for prevention, containment and management of Covid-19. These are being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.

Union minister for health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan today visited Chaudhary Brahma Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan, Delhi, which is functioning as a Dedicated Covid Health Centre (DCHC), to oversee the preparedness to manage Covid-19 cases. He visited the various facilities and wards and witnessed first-hand the treatment being provided to Covid-19 patients, through a holistic approach as per the directions of the ministry of AYUSH.

As per the health ministry’s guidelines, dedicated Covid health centres are hospitals that shall offer care for all cases that have been clinically assigned as moderate. These should either be a full hospital or a separate block in a hospital with preferably separate entry/exit/zoning.

The rise in new cases came as some businesses and travel reopened under a new phase of the national coronavirus lockdown.

The easing of travel curbs, however, led to some confusion with some states saying they were not prepared to handle a sudden influx of people fron Corona-hit areas.

While the centre has left quarantine regulations to state governments, some states have implemented their own quarantine measures, creating confusion among travellers.

Indian Railways also said it would run an additional 2,600 special trains in the next 10 days to help nearly 3.5 million stranded migrant workers get to their homes.

The sudden lockdown announced on March 24 left millions of migrant labourers in the lurch with little other option but to walk to reach home, sometimes more than 1,000 km (620 miles).

Indian Railways has so far run more than 2,813 Shramik Special trains, carrying over 3.7 million passengers, till 10 am of 24 may 2020. Nearly 60 per cent trains originated from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab and are majorly destined for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (1,301 for UP and 973 for Bihar). Most of the destinations in UP are around Lucknow - Gorakhpur sector and in Bihar around Patna. Of the 565 trains run since yesterday, 266 were to Bihar and 172 to Uttar Pradesh. Convergence of trains to these destinations caused congestion in the network. Further, increased time taken in de-boarding of passengers due to the various health and social distancing protocols at the stations is leading to congestion at terminals which further affects network congestion.