216 districts in India have not reported any COVID-19 case: Centre

New Delhi: The Union health ministry on Friday stated that a total of 216 districts in the country have not reported any case regarding COVID-19. Till now, 42 districts have not enlisted any contamination over the last 28 days and 29 districts have not recorded any case over the most recent 21 days, it said.

Lav Agarwal, Union joint secretary in the health ministry, said that India’s recuperation rate remains at 29.36 percent with 16,540 COVID-19 patients cured till now, incorporating 1,273 who recouped over the last 24 hours. In the last 24 hours itself a total of 3,390 cases of COVID-19 have been registered and out of which 103 deaths have been reported so far, bringing the death toll to 1,886 and a total number of cases to 56,342, said the ministry. He also said that 3.2 percent of total active COVID-19 cases are on oxygen support, 4.2 percent in ICU, and 1.1 percent on the ventilator.

Giving view on the district-wise situation, the the joint secretary stated that there are 216 areas in which no COVID-19 case has been accounted for to date. Altogether 42 regions have had no new cases over the most recent 28 days, there are 29 districts with no new cases over the last 21 days, 36 districts with no new cases over the recent 14 days and 46 districts with no new cases over the recent seven days, he added.

When Agarwal was asked to put in a comment regarding the remarks of AIIMS Delhi director Dr. Randeep Guleria who stated that the peak of the disease in India may be reached in June or July, he said, ” If we follow dos and don’ts, we may not reach the peak in a number of COVID-19 cases and our curve may remain flat.” Agarwal additionally said that the ICMR will lead clinical trials to survey the safety and viability of the convalescent plasma therapy in 21 hospitals that include five in Maharashtra, four in Gujarat, and two each from Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh UP and one each from Karnataka, Chandigarh, Punjab, Telangana.

Agarwal additionally said the Railways has changed over 5,231 coaches into COVID Care Centers which will be set at 215 recognised railroad stations and will be utilised for the treatment of mild and very mild COVID-19 patients.

Referring to the accident in Aurangabad in Maharashtra where 16 migrant workers were crushed to death by a goods train, while they were sleeping on the tracks Agarwal said, “As migrant workers return to their home states, it is essential that all guidelines and precautions regarding infection prevention and management are to be followed, we request workers to understand that this is for their own benefit, their people, village and city.”