India is better positioned in the fight against Covid-19 compared to other nations but there is no space for complacency, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, even as a record rise in coronavirus cases for the sixth consecutive day in the country pushed the tally to over 260,000. A total of 266 new Covid -19 fatalities and 9,987 cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll due to the coronavirus infection rose to 7,466 and the cases mounted to 2,66,598 in the country. With India relaxing restrictions, a surge in cases is expected to begin soon. Several states like Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Tripura have been showing a spurt in cases.
In other news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tested negative for covid-19, a day after he showed symptoms of the infection. Meanwhile, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia asserted that the number of Covid cases in Delhi will explode to 550,000 by the end of July even though the Centre said there is no community transmission of the virus in the capital.
The Supreme Court, on the other hand, asked worst Covid-19 affected state Maharashtra to make concerted effort in sending the migrant workers still stranded there to their native places. The top court, which directed all states and Union Territories to transport all stranded workers by train, bus or other mode within 15 days, said there were “huge lapses” by the Maharashtra authorities in dealing with the issue.
Gujarat tally 20,574
The number of Covid cases in Gujarat rose to 20,574 on Monday after the addition of 477 new infections, while 31 more patients died - 24 of them in Ahmedabad alone - taking the toll to 1,280, the state health department said. Also, 321 more patients were discharged from hospitals across the state on Monday, taking the number of recoveries to 13,964, it said.
Out of the 477 new COVID-19 cases, Ahmedabad alone reported 346, taking the tally in the worst-affected district to 14,631, the department said. The district also reported 24 of the total 31 deaths, raising the number of fatalities to 1,039, it said.
Apart from Ahmedabad, Surat and Gandhinagar reported the death of two coronavirus patients each, while Sabarkantha, Panchmahals and Rajkot recorded one fatality each, the department said.
The number of Covid-19 cases in Surat rose to 2,145 with the addition of 48 new infections, while in Vadodara, the tally went up to 1,328 with 355 fresh cases. As many as 19 districts reported fresh cases on Monday.
Apart from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, Sabarkantha and Jamnagar reported five cases each, and Gandhinagar reported four cases. The state has tested 2,56,289 samples so far, and 2,10,438 people are currently under quarantine, of which 2,03,626 are under home isolation, the department said.
There are 5,330 active cases in Gujarat, of which 59 patients are on ventilator, while the condition of 5,271 others is stable, the department said. Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 20,574, new cases 477, deaths 1,280, discharged 13,964, active cases 5,330, people tested so far 2,56,289.
