At least 10 patients have recovered from the Covid-19 illness in India, union ministry of health and family welfare said on Saturday. The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country is at 84.
“Of these, 10 have recovered and been discharged. Contact tracing of these cases has led to identification of more than 4,000 contacts who have been put under surveillance. Efforts are on to identify further contacts of these cases," union health ministry said in a statement.
According to the latest government data, five patients from Uttar Pradesh and one from Delhi have been cured of the disease while three patients in Kerala were earlier discharged.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday reviewed preparedness and actions taken with Chief Secretaries of various States through a video conference. He emphasized on strengthening preventive and control measures with adequate number of isolation wards, need to enhance quarantine facilities and ensure that arrivals from the identified countries are quarantined as per the laid guidelines, and also reviewed the steps taken for mass awareness regarding Covid-19.
For grappling the Covid-19 pandemic, the government is further focussing on identification of additional quarantine facilities, development of isolation wards, training of health workers and doctors, ensuring adequate equipments, Personal protective equipments (PPEs) medicines, masks in all States and UTs.
To check the shortages and black-marketing, government of India has declared masks and hand sanitizers as essential commodities under Essential Commodities Act up to 30 June, 2020. Under the Essential Commodities Act, states can ask manufacturers to enhance their production capacity of these items, to make the supply chain smooth.
Few states have also utilised the enabling provision for infectious disease management as provided under Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Under the Act, the States may take, or require or empower any person to take some measures and by public notice prescribe such temporary regulations to be observed by the public.
“Under the Disaster Management Act, the States/UTs can now draw funds from the State Disaster Response Fund, in addition to the funds from the state government and the NHM. Ministry of Home Affairs has issued detailed guidelines to States/UTs in this regard," the union health ministry said in a statement.
In addition, the network of labs equipped to test COVID-19 have been expanded to 52, in total.
Also, 12,29,363 passengers have been screened from 11,406 flights at the 30 designated airports. In addition, instructions to enforce quarantine for all incoming passengers as per the guidelines are being implemented.
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