India records huge spike in cases, PM’s crucial meet with states’ chief ministers on Apr 27

NEW DELHI, Apr 26, 2020, India Today. India recorded a total of 1,975 cases of the novel coronavirus on April 26, the highest single-day spike in cases of the infection since the country reported its first confirmed case in Kerala on January 30 of this year, India Today reported.

The total number of confirmed cases in India is 26,917 as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 5 pm update on Sunday. While 5,913 of these patients have recovered, 20,177 still fall into the category of active cases. The overall figure is also inclusive of 826 deaths and 1 migration. With over 7,600 cases, Maharashtra has the most number of confirmed cases of infection in India, followed by Gujarat with more than 3,000 cases and Delhi with more than 2,600 cases.

Standalone shops and shops selling goods situated in residential areas are starting to open in various parts of the country in the wake of an MHA order allowing them to reopen for business. However, shops in containment zones or hotspots have been exempted from the order and remain closed.

Prime Minister to discuss situation with CMs

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be engaging chief ministers of multiple states in a video-conference to discuss the situation on the ground. The issue of preparedness and testing will also be taken up as part of the meeting where the PM is expected to seek suggestions from the leaders of Indian states with respect to the ongoing crisis.

This will be the third such meeting between the prime minister and the chief ministers of various states. A similar meeting was held earlier this month where CMs of most states urged the PM to extend the 21-day nationwide lockdown that came into force on March 25 and was due to end on April 14. The prime minister had then decided to extend the nationwide lockdown till May 3 in an attempt to further contain the spread of Covid-19 in India.

First Covid-19 patient treated with plasma

A 49-year-old male who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 4 recovered and was discharged from a private hospital in Delhi’s Saket on Sunday. This was the first time a Covid-19 patient was successfully treated with the use of convalescent plasma therapy in the country.

The chorus of states willing to try this promising method of treatment is growing louder in the absence of a vaccine. Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and a number of other states have sought permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to treat critically-ill Covid-19 patients with the plasma of patients who have recovered from the same infection. According to experts, the plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients has antibodies that can strengthen the immune system of patients under treatment.

Jail for blocking final rites in TN

The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday passed an ordinance criminalising the act of obstructing the burial or cremation of any patient who dies of a disease notified by the government. According to this ordinance, those found in violation will be liable to pay a fine and/or serve a minimum term of one-three years in prison.

In a statement, the state government said that offenders will be booked under Section 74 of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939. The decision to bring this ordinance comes in the wake of two separate incidents where healthcare workers and municipal workers were attacked by locals for trying to bury the bodies of doctors who had died from Covid-19.

Dr Harsh Vardhan’s office shut

The office of Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at AIIMS-Delhi was shut on Sunday after the guard deployed outside his office tested positive for Covid-19. Officials said that the guard, an officer on special duty (OSD) has been quarantined.

1,975 new cases, 47 deaths reported in 24 hours

Indian states recorded 1,975 new cases of Covid-19 and 47-coronavirus related deaths between Saturday and Sunday. Out of these, Maharashtra accounts for 440 cases and 19 deaths, followed by Gujarat with 230 new cases and 18 deaths. The national capital of Delhi reported 293 new cases in the said period. Other states which reported cases include Madhya Pradesh (145), Uttar Pradesh (80), Tamil Nadu (64), Kerala (11), Telangana (11) Jharkhand (9), Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand among others.

MP CM favours extension of lockdown

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday that he is in favour of an extension of the lockdown in districts of his state identified as hotspots. These include Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, and Khargone.

The statement comes a day before the chief ministers’ video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a day after a similar opinion was shared by a top healthcare official. On Saturday, Dr SK Sarin, Chairman of the Delhi government’s Committee to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak had told media outlets that an extension of the lockdown till May 16 is wise. “That is when the epidemic curve is likely to start declining, which happens after the flattening of the curve,” Dr Sarin was quoted as saying.

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