India on Thursday completed one month of lockdown and people rarely think that the nation has achieved anything rather than controversies. However, in a daily press Environment Secretary and Chairman CK Mishra outlined what India has actually achieved during the lockdown tenure.
CK Mishara pointed three things as an achievement for India.
- Transmission Cut and Increase In Doubling Time
Briefing the media CK Mishra said that strict lockdown restriction has enabled the government of India to cut transmission, minimize spread and increase the doubling time for COVID-19 cases
As per the Union Health Ministry report on April 20, the rate at which the number of coronavirus cases in the country was doubling in the last one week has slowed to 7.5 days, as against 3.4 days before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.
As per the latest report of Union Health Ministry, in the last 24 hours, 1409 positive cases have been reported, which takes our total confirmed cases to 21,393. The government put forward a comparative analysis on the basis of testing.
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As per the Ministry, US tested half a million population in March out of which more than 80 thousand came positive, Italy on 31st March and more than 50 thousand were positive, Out of half a million in the UK a total of 1,20,000 were positive. While India concluded its testing of half a million and only 20 thousand cases have come forward, that proves of transmission cut by India.
- Ramped Up Testing
CK Mishra went on to say that the government has ramped up testing and third, prepare for the future if the virus spread further. On the factual side CK Mishra presented a comparative analysis of testing of one month. As per the government, on March 23 a total of14,915 tests across the country were done, while till April 22 the government have done more than 5 lakh tests. If a rough calculation is done it is about 33 times in 30 days. However, he still vouched for ramping up of tests.
CK Mishra said that the country has been able to consistently ramp up our testing. "We’ve taken several measures to ensure we remain more or less stable in the last 30 days," he said.
The top bureaucrat said that India has reached half a million Covid-19 tests. Even as he said that the number of tests India has conducted is 33 times since March 23, there has also been a spike in the number of positive cases.
"On March 23, we had done 14,915 tests across the country and on April 22, we have done more than 5 lakh tests. If a rough calculation is done it is about 33 times in 30 days. This is not enough and we need to ramp testing in this country," CK Mishra, Environment Secretary and Chairman of the Empowered Group-2 said.
Lav Aggarwal, senior health ministry official, said that in last 24 hours, 1409 positive cases have been reported, which takes our total confirmed cases to 21,393.
Health ministry joint secretary said that India has 12 districts that did not have a fresh case in the last 28 days or more. There are now 78 districts (23 States/UT) that have not reported any fresh cases during the last 14 days.
He also highlighted that India has 4257 people who have recovered from the disease. In the last 24 hours, 388 have been cured of the disease.
"India's recovery rate is around 19.89 percent," he said.