The Covid-19 count crossed 40,000 cases in the country with fresh infections hitting another new high on Sunday, the third in as many days. According to the latest report by the ministry of health, there were 42,836 total cases in the country on Monday evening with 1,389 deaths. While the total number of active cases stood at 29,685, the total count of those cured stood at 11,761.
Cases surged over last three days
Worryingly, the number of cases has surged significantly on the last three days of the second phase of lockdown, just before restrictions in many parts of the country are set to be eased. New cases on Sunday spiked to 2,667, breaking Saturday’s record of 2,564, even as the worst-hit state, Maharashtra, continued to report a dip in cases. The state recorded 678 new cases, down from 790 on the previous day, and significantly less than the peak of 1,008 on Friday.
Time to reopen Delhi, have to live with coronavirus: Arvind Kejriwal
Ruing that Delhi’s economy was in doldrums, revenue collection at rock bottom and there was almost no money to pay salaries to government staffers, CM Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said it was time to relax lockdown in the city. He appealed to the Centre to let the containment zones remain sealed and make the rest of the city — now fully a ‘red zone’ — a ‘green zone’ and allow markets to reopen from Monday. “When all economic activities are shut and revenue generation has stopped, how do we give salaries? How do we run the government?” Kejriwal said at a digital press conference.
1 lakh tests a day by May-end planned: Govt
As the third phase of the national lockdown begins on Monday with relaxations, the government plans to step up its Covid-19 testing capacity to conduct one lakh tests per day each for rapid antibody (blood-based tests) and the more definitive RT-PCR by May-end. The supply of new rapid test kits would mean the government’s plan to use them, particularly in red zones as well as in low prevalence areas to track trends, will be back on track after an initial lot of Chinese kits failed to function properly. The kits have been embroiled in controversy with ICMR finding them to be unreliable.
