- Coronavirus cases in India soar to 606
New Delhi, Mar 25
The number of novel coronavirus cases in the country rose to 606 on Wednesday with 10 deaths being recorded across the country, a health ministry official said.The number of active cases is 553.Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also chaired a GoM meeting to assess the situation in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.While assuring that the government is making efforts to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) and N-95 masks are available in adequate numbers to help the medical fraternity in their job, health ministry officials said 29 private laboratories with over 16,000 sample collection centres have been registered so far for testing of COVID-19.”PPEs and masks have some imported components. There are disruptions with respect to import of certain items. The government is trying to address the issue,” the official said. According to officials, the ministry of home affairs is monitoring the lockdown through a control room. The health ministry in its updated figures on Wednesday morning, stated the second death reported in Delhi was COVID-19 negative, thus bringing down the death toll to nine in India.When quizzed about this, the official said, “Second reconfirmatory test of Delhi patient who died on Tuesday, came negative and so we reduced the death toll.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is looking forward to the G-20 virus summit to be held via video conference on Thursday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.”The #G20 has an important global role to play in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic,” he tweeted Wednesday. Modi said he is looking forward to “productive discussions tomorrow at the #G20VirtualSummit, being coordinated by the Saudi G20 Presidency”. Leaders from the group comprising 19 industrialised countries and the European Union will discuss the global coronavirus crisis via video conference to develop an action plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday warned of tough action against those misbehaving with people on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus like doctors and airline crew, and sought the cooperation of citizens with the administration to deal with the crisis. Modi chose a video interaction with residents of Varanasi, the constituency he represents in Parliament, to respond to several queries related to the pandemic and his government's response to it, and asserted that focusing on a few incidents of shortcomings will not help at this hour.If he claimed that all is well, then he would be deceiving himself, the prime minister said, and then added that what is a more important question is that whether the pandemic has to be defeated or not even if it means facing certain difficulties.Even in normal times, people face certain problems, he said.Noting that ‘Navaratri' has started from Wednesday, he asked people to take care of nine poor families on each of the nine auspicious days, saying nothing can be of more devotion to goddess Durga.”Karuna” (compassion) is also a step toward defeating the coronavirus, he said to a question about difficulties being faced by the poor and daily-wagers during the lockdown across the country. The Centre and states are taking measures to help them, he said.”The difficulties being faced are only for 21 days. But if the coronavirus crisis is not over and its spread is not stopped, then we cannot imagine the harm it will cause,” Modi said.Asked about reports of misbehaviour with medical personnel and airline crew, he said he was pained by this and has asked the home ministry and state DGPs to take tough action against culprits.If anybody targets doctors, nurses and all those rendering their service during this crisis, then it will cost them dearly, Modi said, adding people in white like doctors and nurses are like gods.He also asked people to cooperate with the government and the administration, and not to pressure them, for better results during the lockdown period.”There may be incidents of some shortcoming or negligence. But looking for such cases and focussing and publicising them, discouraging some sector will not benefit at this time. There can be a thousand reasons to spread pessimism. I am not saying they are all wrong but life runs on hope and trust,” he said.Doctors, police personnel and many others have been working very hard and should be encouraged, he said.Modi also asked people to shun superstition, rumour and self-medication and emphasised his message of self-distancing if the battle against the deadly virus has to be won.”The war of Mahabharata was won in 18 days and our effort is to win this war against the coronavirus in 21 days,” he said, noting that over one lakh of COVID-19 patients have recovered the world over and many dozens have in India as well.This disease does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, among regions and infects even those very conscious about their health, he said, adding that social distancing is the only way out and people should have patience and should follow guidelines.The government has joined hands with WhatsApp to start a help desk, and people can get proper guidelines about the virus by contacting a number (9013151515), the prime minister said.Kashi, another name for Varanasi, can show the way to the country with its patience, coordination, empathy, peace, tolerance, service and solution, he said, noting that the holy place is known for annihilating sins and crisis
