Fighting the Covid-19 crisis on a war footing, the government on Monday reported 227 new confirmed cases of the infection and 32 deaths across India but maintained it was still in the local transmission stage.
The Supreme Court, however, cautioned that fear and panic are becoming a bigger problem than the coronavirus. The government also said there was no immediate plan to extend the 21-day lockdown period, which entered its sixth day on Monday, while the Indian Army dismissed as “fake” social media posts about a possible emergency declaration next month.
Interacting with organisations involved in social work via video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked them to counter misinformation and superstition on coronavirus as he observed that people have been flouting social distancing norms in the name of belief.
Nizamuddin cordoned off
As fresh cases of coronavirus cases were reported from various parts of the country including in Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, including in Noida in the national capital region, Delhi Police cordoned off a major area in Nizamuddin where several people showed symptoms of coronavirus after taking part in a religious gathering a few days ago.
Police said the gathering of around 200 people was organised without permission from authorities.
Local transmission
However, some good news came in the latest update from the Union health ministry which said the Covid-19 was still in the local transmission stage in India and it took 12 days for cases of infection to rise from 100 to 1,000 at a rate of increase slower than some of the developed countries.
Devotees during the Chaiti Chhath Puja in Patna on Monday (PTI photo)
According to a health ministry release, the number of cases has risen to 32 and cases increase to 1,251.
The joint secretary in the health ministry, Lav Agarwal, had urged earlier in the evening to all to maintain social distancing, saying even one person's carelessness may lead to spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Agarwal attributed the slow pace of rise in cases in India to people's participation in strictly following the social distancing guidelines and the collective pre-emptive actions taken by the Centre in tandem with state governments.
The worldwide tally of deaths has crossed 34,600, with more than 25,000 people dying in Europe. Globally, more than 7,28,000 people have been detected positive so far, out of which nearly 1,42,300 have recovered, as per various reports.
Covid-19 tests in private labs
Raman R Gangakhedkar, head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said 38,442 tests had been conducted till now in India, out of which 3,501 were done on Sunday. He said 47 private laboratories had been given approval for conducting Covid-19 tests and in the last three days, 1,334 tests had been conducted in private labs.
However, the government had to clarify that there was no immediate plan to extend the 21-day lockdown amid fears that shutdown of businesses across the country to counter the spread of the virus may trigger severe economic and social distress.
The Indian Army also clarified that no effort was being initiated to rope in services of retired personnel, the National Cadet Corps and the volunteers enrolled under the National Service Scheme in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
SC seeks status report
The Supreme Court also stepped in amid a crisis created by thousands of migrant workers trying to return to their home states after being rendered jobless and homeless due to the lockdown.
The apex court observed that the panic and fear were becoming a “bigger problem than coronavirus”, and sought a status report from the Centre by Tuesday on the measures taken to prevent the exodus. Hearing two separate petitions through video conferencing, the court said it would not create more confusion by issuing directions on measures which the government was already taking, before looking at the status report from the Centre.
Two homeless persons play with a stray dog in Bangalore on Monday (PTI photo)
Separately, the government told all its departments to pay high priority to public grievances related to coronavirus.
The Railway Board told its zonal units to be ready to convert up to 20,000 train coaches into isolation wards for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Steps have also been initiated for releasing thousands of prisoners in overcrowded jails across the country on interim bail or parole in an unprecedented step to prevent the spread of coronavirus and also to avoid any clashes.
24 new cases in Uttar Pradesh
Among new cases, 24 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Uttar Pradesh, taking the total tally in the state to 96. The national capital's adjoining Gautam Buddh Nagar district alone has reported 36 cases, officials said.
Medical staff at RML Hospital in New Delhi on Monday (PTI photo)
In West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee warned that any one ostracising healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients would be arrested.
In Uttar Pradesh, a some officials were seen forcefully sanitising a group of migrants with “chemicals”, which prompted the apex child rights body NCPCR to demand disciplinary and penal action against officials responsible for this.
The Congress and other Opposition parties also demanded action on such behaviour. The main Opposition party also demanded that the Centre bring in a law or rule to ensure there is no retrenchment of workers in the private sector for six months till August in the wake of lockdown due to coronavirus.