by: Navjeevan Express

Gujarat COVID-19 cases near 11K-mark with 1,057 new cases

NE NEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, MAY 16

The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat crossed the 10,000-mark on Saturday, with 1,057 new patients being found positive for coronavirus including 709 “super spreaders” in Ahmedabad, which accounted for 14 of the total 19 deaths, a Health official said.

The total cases now stand at 10,989 while the number of fatalities rose to 625, the official said.

“Ten of the 19 deceased were suffering from comorbidities,” said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi.

“Apart from 348 new cases reported on Saturday, the state health department has added a tally of 709 ”super spreaders” on Friday who were found coronavirus positive in Ahmedabad during the tests conducted over the last one week following a massive screening of 33,500 such super spreaders,” Ravi said explaining the total number of new cases.

A total of 273 patients were discharged, taking the tally of thew recovered patients to 4,308, Ravi said, adding that the rate of recovery stood at 39.20 percent.

Apart from 14 deaths in Ahmedabad, two patients died in Surat while one each died in Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, and Banaskantha.

“Super-spreaders” are potential carriers of the viral infection who could infect a large number of people coming in their contact.

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They could be vegetable vendors, grocery and milk shop owners, petrol pump attendants, or garbage collectors, who by the nature of their job carry the risk of contracting and spreading the viral infection.

Ahmedabad has reported 264 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of the affected patients in the district to 8,144. Surat’s case tally mounted by 34 to 1,049 and by 19 to 639 in Vadodara 19, Ravi added.

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The total number of active cases stood at 6,056 in the state, 46 of whom are in critical condition, she said.

A total of 1,38,407 samples have been tested for coronavirus infection in the state so far, including 3,961 samples in the last 24 hours, she said.

Gandhinagar (163), Bhavnagar (107), Anand (82), Rajkot (79), Banaskantha (83), Panchmahal (69), Aravalli (77) have also reported a higher number of cases apart from Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara.

Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 10,989, new cases 348, deaths 625, discharged patients 4,308, active cases 6,056 and the number of people tested so far 1,38,407.

700 ‘superspreaders’ found +ve in 1 week in Ahmedabad

At least 700 “superspreaders” were found coronavirus positive in Ahmedabad in a massive screening of vegetable sellers and shopkeepers conducted in a week after officials had ordered the closure of shops, except those selling milk and medicines, between May 7 and 14, a senior bureaucrat said on Saturday.

“About 33,500 superspreaders were screened and 12,500 (of them) tested for coronavirus infection over the last one week. Of them, 700 tested positive and were isolated,” said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, who has been appointed to oversee works related to COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.

Shops selling essential items reopened from May 15 on certain conditions in Ahmedabad which had been under a complete lockdown since May 7.

“Even as grocery shops and vegetable vendors were allowed to resume their business from May 15, provided they carried health screening cards, at least 700 ‘superspreaders’ were isolated after around 12,500 people were tested for coro\rnavirus infection in a week-long exercise,” a senior official said.

Before that, about 350 “superspreaders” were detected to have contracted the viral infection in a campaign launched on April 20.

Gupta said massive screening was conducted to ensure that the viral infection cannot get transmitted from the “superspreaders”.

He appealed to citizens to buy only from vendors or shopkeepers who carry “health screening cards”.

“These ‘superspreaders’ will have to renew their cards after 14 days,” he said.

Gupta further said the situation was normalising on the front of the supply of essential commodities, including grocery items and vegetables. He said these items are supplied in ample quantities after the week-long lockdown was lifted on Friday.

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Grocery shops and vegetable/fruit vendors can operate their business between 8 am and 3 pm.

Besides, the AMC also allowed shops to remain open for a few hours in ten containment zones in the city.

Ahmedabad reported 7,044 coronavirus positive cases, and 473 deaths, as per the data available on May 15 night. The number of active cases is 4,260 and that of discharged people is 2,311.

30 municipal areas contribute 80 pc of COVID cases, officials told to focus on timely tracing

With coronavirus cases continuing to rise, top health ministry officials on Saturday held a meeting with senior officers and district magistrates from 30 municipal areas which are contributing almost 80 percent of the country’s COVID-19 cases during which monitoring of old city areas, urban slums, migrant labourer camps, and other high-density pockets was emphasised.

Timely tracking of patients to improve recovery percentage and influenza-like illness (ILI)/severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) surveillance was also stressed during the meeting.

Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Rajesh Bhushan, OSD, health ministry, along with other senior officers held the high-level review meeting with the Principal Health Secretaries, Municipal Commissioners, DMs, and other officials from the 30 municipal areas.

These 30 municipal areas are from the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Odisha.

The measures taken by the officials and the staff of the municipal corporations for the management of COVID-19 cases were reviewed during the meeting which was also informed that fresh guidelines on the management of COVID-19 in urban settlements are being shared, a health ministry statement said.