Punjab Extends Lockdown Till 30 April, ICMR Study Finds New Leads: 11 Things To Know Today

It has been 100 days since India’s first Covid-19 patient was reported in Kerala on January 30. Meanwhile, a new study by the Indian Council of Medical Research found new leads into the spread of the virus in India. 

Union health ministry’s Friday morning update said over 6,400 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the country, with 5,709 patients currently under treatment.

The death toll has risen to 199.

A Press Trust of India tally of figures reported by various states as on Thursday late evening showed at least 6,640 cases and 227 deaths.

There has been a lag in the Union Health Ministry figures, compared to the number of cases announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states, PTI said.

What you need to know today:

1. Punjab Extends Lockdown Till 30 April

 After Odisha, Punjab on Friday extended the lockdown till 30 April. 

2. PIL In Supreme Court For Mass Testing 

A PIL filed in the Supreme Court of India on Friday sought mass-testing of people in the country to battle the spread of COVID-19. 

ANI reported the PIL sought “house-to-house” testing in hotspots across the country. 

The petition was filed by advocates Shashwat Anand, Ankur Azad and Faiz Ahmad and law student Sagar. 

LiveLaw reported the PIL as saying, “What is the most worrying is that the reported confirmed COVID-19 cases, for sure, could be a gross underestimate as the testing rate in India is amongst the lowest in the world. The shocking spike in the number of corona infected cases within a matter of days, shows that it may only be the tip of the iceberg and we’re oblivious to the real gravity of the situation.”

The PIL, according to the LiveLaw report, said that without mass testing a lockdown would not be fruitful. 

3. ICMR Study Says 40% COVID-19 Cases With Respiratory Infection Did Not Have Travel History

An ICMR study released on Thursday has said that 40% of COVID-19 cases with severe acute respiratory infection did not have any history of contact with a positive patient or international travel, and they were reported from 36 districts of 15 states.

PTI reported the study as saying a total of 104 of the 5,911 patients with severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) tested positive for COVID-19, out of which 40 cases did not report any history of contact with a known case or international travel, according to the study which was conducted from February 15 to April 2.

The chances of getting infected among SARI patients increased from 0% before March 14 to 2.6% by April 2.

Also, males accounted for higher number of COVID-19 cases and also patients aged above 50 years of age.

The ICMR in its study highlighted that COVID-19 containment activities need to be targeted in districts reporting positive cases among SARI patients and stated that intensifying sentinel surveillance for COVID-19 among SARI patients may be an efficient tool to effectively use resources towards containment and mitigation efforts, it said.

4. IPS Officer Pulled Up For Helping Mumbai Billionaires Violate Lockdown Rules

Maharashtra government on Friday sent a senior IPS officer on compulsory leave for allowing DHFL promoters Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to travel despite the ongoing lockdown, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.

Amitabh Gupta, Principal Secretary (special), had issued a letter exempting the the billionaires from lockdown norms citing a family emergency.

Police said they detained the Wadhawans at Mahabaleshwar in Satara district. Twenty-three people including members of the Wadhawan family were found at their farmhouse, an official told PTI.

Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan are accused in Yes Bank and DHFL fraud cases. They were spotted at their `Diwan farm house’ by civic authorities, officials said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently issued summons to Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan in Yes Bank case and asked them to appear on March 17. The duo reportedly cited the pandemic and skipped the appearance, officials said. (PTI)

5. Maharashtra Locks Down 5 Central Prisons

An order has been issued to “lock down” five central prisons in Mumbai, Pune and Thane districts to prevent the spread of coronavirus among inmates, a senior official said on Thursday. As per the order, no new inmates would be admitted and no one would be let out. Even the staff will not leave the prisons.

The order would apply to Arthur Road jail and Byculla jail in Mumbai, jails in Thane and Kalyan, and Yerawada jail in Pune.

Additional Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) Sunil Ramanand said this preventive step was being taken as these jails are located in coronavirus-affected areas, and house a large number of inmates, much beyond their capacity.

“Medically examined prison staff will lock themselves up until further orders and administer the prisons without stepping out,” he said.

6. ICMR Updates Testing Strategy

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said people having symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose and residing in hotspots or cluster areas and in evacuee centres will now be tested for coronavirus infection.

Till now, all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough were being tested for COVID-19 infection.

In hotspots or clusters and in large migration gatherings and evacuee centres, all symptomatic influenza-like illness (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose) will be tested for rRT-PCR within 7 days of illness and after 7 days of illness antibody test will be conducted if negative, confirmed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or rRT-PC test.

The apex body for biomedical research revised its strategy in view of a spurt in coronavirus cases in the country this week.

7. Doctors Association Writes To Amit Shah On Attacks Against Health Workers

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over multiple incidents of assault on doctors amid rising cases of COVID-19 citing the need of the Central Protection Act for medicos.

“The medical fraternity stands together in the national response against COVID-19. Doctors and other healthcare professionals all over the country are putting in their best efforts in this fight. However, some unfortunate incidents of violence against frontline warriors are being regularly reported from various parts of the country even in these testing times,” the FORDA said in its letter.

“The Central Protection Act for doctors, as demanded earlier, is the need of the hour for protection of the whole medical fraternity. We shall be highly obliged if you kindly take note of the incidents and take necessary action in this regard,” they said.

8. Three Cancer Patients Test Positive At Delhi State Cancer Institute

Three cancer patients admitted at the Delhi State Cancer Institute have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of coronavirus cases at the hospital to 21, an official said on Thursday.

The three have been shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, according to the official.

Earlier this week, a doctor and nine para-medical staff had also tested positive for the COVID-19 at the Delhi government-run hospital. So far, 21 people, including two doctors, have tested positive for coronavirus there.

9. Assam Reports First Death

Assam on Friday reported the first death due to complications related to COVID-19 with the total number of positive cases in the state rising to 28, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The patient, hailing from Hailakandi district, died early today at Silchar Medical College Hospital, the minister tweeted.

The condition of the 65-year-old retired BSF personnel turned ‘alarming’ on Thursday and he was shifted to SMCH during the day.

The person was confirmed coronavirus-positive on Tuesday night and had attended the Tablighi Jamaat meet at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, He also had travelled to Saudi Arabia before that.

10. Goa Govt Questioned Over Use Of Ayurveda For Treatment

Hours after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed that COVID-19 patients in the state were being treated with Ayurveda, Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai sought to know whether some kind of experiment was being done on the patients.

11. China Reports New Cases

China has reported 42 new coronavirus cases, including 38 imported infections, taking the total tally to 81,907, health officials said on Friday, as the country started a new trial of re-testing the recovered COVID-19 patients amid heightened concern of a rebound of the deadly disease.

The Chinese health authority on Friday also said that 47 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, including 14 from abroad, were also reported in the mainland.

As the new infections continue to increase, China on Thursday unveiled a new trial protocol warranting re-testing of the recovered coronavirus patients besides intensifying the screening of asymptomatic cases as concerns grew over a second wave of the infections in the country.

(With inputs from PTI)