The total COVID-19 cases in country have gone up to 4 thousand 421 with 354 reported since yesterday. Briefing media in New Delhi, Joint Secretary in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said, the death toll has reached 117 with eight deaths since yesterday. He said, till now 326 persons have been discharged after recovery.
Mr Agarwal informed that Government has been adopting a strategy for cluster containment and for outbreaks that are amenable to management. He said, this strategy is producing positive results, especially in Agra and Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Pathanamthitta in Kerala, Bhilwara in Rajasthan and East Delhi. He said, Indian Railways has prepared 40 thousand isolation beds in 2,500 coaches. Railways is making 375 isolation beds daily and this is going on across 133 locations across the country.
Mr Agarwal said, three types of facilities shall be set up for various categories of COVID-19 cases as a mechanism for triaging and decisions making for identification of the appropriate COVID-19 dedicated facility for providing care to COVID-19 patients.
First is COVID Care Center, CCC where mild or very mild cases or COVID suspect cases will be kept. There will be makeshift facilities and it may be set up in hostels, hotels, schools, stadiums, lodges etc., both public and private. If need be, existing quarantine facilities could also be converted into COVID Care Centres. It has to be necessarily mapped to one or more Dedicated COVID Health Centres and at least one Dedicated COVID Hospital for referral purpose.
Second is Dedicated COVID Health Centre, DCHC. It will offer care for all cases that have been clinically assigned as moderate.
It should either be a full hospital or a separate block in a hospital with preferably separate entry or exit or zoning. These hospitals would have beds with assured Oxygen support.
Third is, Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH). It will offer comprehensive care primarily for those who have been clinically assigned as severe. It should either be a full hospital or a separate block in a hospital with preferably separate entry or exit. It will have fully equipped ICUs, Ventilators and beds with assured Oxygen support.
Quoting a recent ICMR study, Mr Agrwal said, if one COVID19 patient does not follow lockdown orders or practice social distancing, then the patient can infect 406 people in 30 days.
Replying to a media query, he said, there has been no decision on extending lockdown yet. He said, speculation of any kind will not help anyone.
Joint Secretary in Home Ministry Punya Salila Shrivastav said, status of essential goods and services is by and large satisfactory. She said, Home Minister did a detailed review of the status of essential commodities and lockdown measures. Ms Shrivastav said, Home Minister has asked authorities to take quick and stern action against individuals involved in hoarding and black marketing.
Raman R Gangakhedkar of Indian Council of Medical Research said, over 1 lakh 7 thousand tests have been done till date. 11 thousand 795 tests were conducted until yesterday in which 2 thousand 530 are in the private sector. He said, currently, 136 government labs are working and 59 private labs have been given permission.
