India registered 991 fresh Covid-19 cases and 43 deaths in 24 hours across the country taking the total cases at 15,536 while the death toll touched 519 late on Saturday night even as the Government said the mortality rate due to Covid-19 is around 3.3 per cent while the recovery rate is 13.85 per cent.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases includes 12,746 active cases, 2,271 cured and discharged cases, and 519 deaths, according to data collected from the State Governments till 11 pm on Saturday.
The Union Health Ministry also added that the RT-PCR test will be the standard frontline test for Covid-19 diagnosis and the rapid antibody test will be used for surveillance in hotspots. On Friday, at least 5 lakh rapid antibody tests kits arrived here from two Chinese companies. Delhi and Rajasthan are among the States that have been given the rapid antibody test kits. The ICMR has recommended the use of antibody rapid testing for Covid-19 in high containment zones as a surveillance tool rather than an early diagnostic tool.
“After seven days of a person being infected, this antibody test would indicate the patient’s immunity. If someone turns out to be positive in this test, it means they have a strong immunity to fight the virus,’’ as per the ICMR.
As many as six States have recorded 1,000 plus positive cases with Maharashtra at the top. The other States are Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Maharashtra topped the charts with 3,648 cases and 211 deaths followed by Delhi with 1,707 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths.
Madhya Pradesh is third on the list with 1,402 Covid-19 cases and 69 deaths, followed by Gujarat which has 1,376 cases and 53 deaths. Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu occupy fifth and sixth spots.
Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry said at a Press briefing here that 83 per cent cases had co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases while 75.3 per cent people who succumbed to the viral infection are above 60 years.
He said giving details on the age profile of the deceased: “14.4 per cent people are in 0 to 45 years age group; 10.3 per cent people are in 45-60 years age group; 33.1 per cent are in the 60-75 years age group; and 42.2 per cent are from 75 years and above age group.”
“If lockdown and social distancing norms are not followed, then the entire country would have to face the consequences,” said Agarwal adding that in the last 24 hours, the country saw 991 fresh Covid-19 cases and 43 deaths. Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu have reported the highest number of cases.
He also added that 47 districts in 23 States have shown positive trends in the fight against coronavirus outbreak in the country. “One district each in Puducherry and Karnataka has not reported any positive coronavirus case yet along with 22 new districts, split across various States, have also not reported new cases in the last 14 days,” added Agarwal. This includes Lakhisarai, Gopalganj, Bhagalpur in Bihar, Dholpur & Udaipur in Rajasthan, Pulwama in J&K, Thoubal in Manipur, Chitradurga in Karnataka. Hoshiarpur in Punjab. Rohtak and Charkhi Dadri in Haryana and Lohit in Arunachal Pradesh.
The official said that 4,291 coronavirus cases are epidemiologically linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz event held mid-march this year. “These cases are spread across 23 States and Union Territories, which include most of the high degree burden cases -- Tamil Nadu has 84 per cent cases, Delhi 63 per cent and Assam 91 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 61 per cent and Andaman & Nicobar 83 per cent.
Nearly 40,000 people related to Delhi’s Nizamuddin event have already been quarantined.