COVID-19 India Update April 20: Doubling Rate Improves, Read Highlights

NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry said on Monday the rate at which the number of coronavirus cases in the country was becoming double in the last one week has improved to 7.5 days, as against 3.4 days before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
Ministry of Health and Family Affairs Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal was speaking at the daily briefing regarding the situation of COVID-19 in the country. Here are the highlights:

· Total Cases 1,553, 36 Deaths in last 24 Hours

· Total number of cases in the country at 17,265 and death toll 543.

· 2,546 people have been cured and overall around 14.75 per cent people have recovered.

· As per data on April 19, 18 states and UTs have shown an improvement than the national average doubling rate.

· States and UTs where the doubling time is less than 20 days are: Delhi, doubling in 8.5 days, Karnataka in 9.2 days, Telangana 9.4 days, Andhra Pradesh 10.6 days, Jammu and Kashmir 11.5 days, Punjab 13.1 days, Chattisgarh 13.3 days, Tamil Nadu 14 days and Bihar 16.4 days.

· Places where the doubling time is between 20 days to 30 days include: Andaman and Nicobar Island at 20.1 days, Haryana 21 days, Himachal Pradesh 24.5 days, Chandigarh 25.4 days, Assam 25.8 days, Uttarakhand 26.6 days and Ladakh 26.6 days.

· States having doubling time more than 30 days: Odisha and Kerala which reported dubling time as 39.8 days and 72.2 days respectively

· Apart from Mahe in Puducherry and Kodagu in Karnataka, Pauri Garhwal district from Uttarakhand too have not reported any fresh case of coronavirus infection during last 28 days.

· 59 districts in 23 states and UTs where no case has been reported in the last 14 days.

· All 7 patients in Goa have been discharged. No further active cases have been reported in the state yet.

· A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture said that the FCI has moved double the average quantity of food grains during the lockdown period and that face masks and hand sanitizers have been brought under Essential Commodities Act.

· NGOs have been permitted to buy food grains directly from FCI for relief operations.

· Sown area of summer crops has registered 36 per cent increase over last year; farming has been exempted from lockdown but social distancing to be maintained.

· MNREGA wages hiked in the wake of the pandemic and the the average increase is Rs 20.

Also Read: After Goa, Now Manipur Is COVID-19 Free