New Delhi: With 3,900 fresh cases and 195 more deaths, India recorded its all-time high coronavirus cases in a day. With several offices resuming work, the fear of a larger outbreak looms as an officer at Delhi’s Shastri Bhavan and several doctors, nurses and patients at the Army’s R&R Hospital too tested positive. The 24 found positive at the Army hospital include both serving and retired military personnel.
The home ministry issued guidelines for workplaces on Tuesday: they should have thermal scanners, sanitisers and face masks. There should be a suitable gap between shifts and staff must have staggered lunch breaks. Workplaces must be sanitised between shifts, and a list of nearby Covid-19 hospitals available.
The total number of India’s Covid-19 cases stood at 46,711 on Tuesday, with 31,967 still under treatment and 13,161 discharged. The total deaths so far is 1,583.
Economist Shamika Ravi, who is monitoring the Covid-19 graph, said active cases were now growing at 6.4 per cent, and doubling every 11 days. She said Maharashtra and Gujarat are not testing enough, though the infection is way ahead in these states; that Tamil Nadu and Haryana are seeing a second wave; while only Kerala has managed to flatten the curve.
West Bengal shows a massive spike in the death rate overnight — from 0.53 (May 3) to 1.41 (May 4).
Despite the steep jump in new cases/deaths, the health ministry said the doubling rate remains 12 days and the recovery rate 27.41 per cent. Health minister Harsh Vardhan said India had so far been able to stave off its community transmission.
