NE NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR, APRIL 5
In just a week’s time, the number of positive cases of coronavirus in Gujarat has more than doubled from 61 to 128. Sunday saw the maximum number of positive cases in a day with 20, including a 14-month-old baby from Jamnagar and 10 having link to the religious congregation recently organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi, a health department official said.
शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ pic.twitter.com/4DeiMsCN11— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2020
A 14-month-old boy in Jamnagar was found to be positive. The authorities are bewildered about the baby getting infected as none of his family members, including his parents has been found positive. The Jamnagar health authorities are investigating further.
कोरोना महामारी के अंधकार के बीच निरंतर प्रकाश की ओर जाने के संकल्प के साथ आज रात 9 बजे राजभवन में हमने दीपक प्रज्वलित किए। साथ ही संकल्प किया कि मैं एक साल तक प्रतिमाह अपनी वेतन की 30 प्रतिशत राशि सरकार को अर्पण करूँगा।। pic.twitter.com/jYZlcoHlU9
— Governor of Gujarat (@GovernorofGuj) April 5, 2020
Besides that five other males have been found positive on Sunday from Surat (50), Morbi (52), Bhuj (62), Bhavnagar (90) and (48).
प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के आह्वान पर आज रात 9 बजे अपने आवास पर लाइट्स को बंद कर दीप प्रज्वलित किए।
#9PM9minute#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/s8dYfDLQfw
— Vijay Rupani (Modi Ka Parivar) (@vijayrupanibjp) April 5, 2020
The Sunday evening addition has taken the total number of positive cases in the state to 128. The maximum number of positive cases is in Ahmedabad 53, Surat 16, Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar with 13 each, Rajkot and Vadodara with 10 each, Porbandar 3, Kutch and Gir-Somnath 2 each and Mehsana, Panchmahal, Patan, Chhota Udepur, Jamnagar and Morbi one each.
प्रकाशमय गुज़रात pic.twitter.com/CSIKMxUgZi
— Gujarat Information (@InfoGujarat) April 5, 2020
Out of the 128 positive cases, 94 are stable and 21 have been discharged while two cases are critical and are on the ventilator.
9 pm, 9 minutes: PM Modi's mother Heeraben turns off lights, lights up diya at her house#COVID2019 #AaoDiyaJalayein #IndiaFightsCorona @narendramodi
#9बजे9मिनटhttps://t.co/toOAipNwfE— India TV (@indiatvnews) April 5, 2020
“With the rising number of positive cases in the state, the government has now decided to strictly follow the Cluster Containment Strategy and if need be ruthless. The Gujarat Chief Secretary had a video conference with all the district collectors where they have been instructed that if a patient even if opts for Discharge Against Medical Advice (DAMA) they have been given powers to strictly act under the Epidemic Act, 1897 and Gujarat COVID-19 regulations, 2020 and also under the lockdown provisions,” Gujarat Health Secretary Jayanti Ravi told the media on Sunday.
#9pm9minutes #9बजे9मिनट
ભુજ સ્વામિનારાયણ મંદિર દીવડાઓની રોશનીથી ઝળહળી ઉઠ્યું pic.twitter.com/VQhTU4s4QR— PIB in Gujarat 🇮🇳 (@PIBAhmedabad) April 5, 2020
Regarding all those persons from the Tablighi Jamaat, who have returned from Nizamuddin, Ravi said, “We have tested all of those who have come from Delhi and all those were found positive have been admitted and the rest are under quarantine. We will once again test them for the virus a week later.”
“The Gujarat government will also be speeding up the sample testing for the virus. Yesterday Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani decided to go for the Rapid Antibody Test (RAT) test and we are in the process of procurement of such kits. The protocols for using these kits have been issued and we are hoping that within a day or two, the Delhi government will be providing us the RAT kits and will be speeding up the testing process,” added Ravi.
Among these new patients, 10 have “direct or indirect” link to the Tablighi Jamaat’s religious congregation held at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month, which has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot, state Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said. With the death of a 61-year-old woman in Surat, who tested positive for coronavirus only a day ago, the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state has gone up to 11, she said.
The state government has tested total of 2,354 samples so far, out of which results of eight are awaited, the health department said. To date, total 14,920 people have been placed under quarantine in the state, including 13,560 under home quarantine, 1,085 in government facilities, and 275 in private facilities.
Surat police commissioner ordered closure of wholesale vegetable and fruit market of the city till April 14 after reports of heavy rush and crowding by not maintaining social distance. He also issued a notification banning the movement of all types of vehicles.
Rs 25 lakh compensation for frontline staff
The Gujarat government on Sunday announced Rs 25 lakh compensation in case santitation and health workers, revenue and food supplies staff, fair price shop owners died of the coronavirus infection while working in the frontline to combat the outbreak.
The announcement was made by Ashwani Kumar, secretary to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Earlier, a similar compensation package was announced for police personnel.
‘Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has taken a decision that after police personnel, kin of sanitary and health workers of municipal corporations and municipalities who die in the line of duty due to coronavirus will get Rs 25 lakh. The benefit has also been extended to staff and officers of revenue and food supplies departments as well as owners of fair price shops,’ he said.
Addressing a press conference, Kumar said the state government has distributed 45,000 N-95 masks to private doctors through the Indian Medical Association.
It has also lifted a moratorium on cotton ginning and oil mills and allied industries so that they can function during the lockdown in place for the virus outbreak.
Movement of materials related to the industry will also be allowed, Kumar told reporters.
On the 12th day of the 21-day lockdown, he said that 45.79 lakh liters of milk has been distributed. Due to the weekly holidays, 18 vegetable markets were closed. 58,903 quintal of vegetables and 6969 quintal of fruits were distributed today. A total of 2 lakh 50 thousand passes have been issued so far for small merchant-retailers and those connected to essential services for the sale of essential goods. He said that meals were served to 34 lakh 37 thousand old, destitute and lonely people in the state.
