COVID-19 UPDATES AS ON 29.10.2020

 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

India registers exponential rise in Testing

1 crore Tests conducted in the last 9 days

On an average, nearly 11 lakh tests conducted daily during the past 6 weeks

Consistent fall in cumulative Positivity Rate as Testing increases

Posted On: 29 OCT 2020 1:38PM by PIB Delhi

 

India has demonstrated a consistent increase in the COVID-19 testing infrastructure since Jan 2020 resulting in an exponential increase in its testing numbers. The country’s testing capacities have been ramped up multiple times. 15 lakh tests can be done very day now.

With 10,75,760 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the cumulative tests have crossed 10.65 crore (10,65,63,440).

Nearly 11 lakh tests have been conducted daily on an average during the past six weeks.

As evidence has revealed, comprehensive and widespread testing on a sustained basis has resulted in bringing down the positivity rate. The sharp decline in national cumulative positivity rate has demonstrated that the rate of spread of infection is being effectively contained. The cumulative positivity rate has been falling progressively and has touched 7.54% today.

The declining trend of cumulative positivity rate in the past three weeks is a testimony of the wide expansion of the country’s testing facilities.  

One crore tests were conducted in the last nine days. The daily positivity rate stands at 4.64%. 

India continues to maintain the declining trend of the active cases. Active cases stand at 6,03,687 today. It comprises only 7.51% of the total positive cases of the country.

The declining trend of the active cases is supported by rising number of recovered cases.  The total recovered cases have crossed 73 lakh (73,15,989). The gap between Recovered cases and Active cases has crossed 67 lakh (67,12,302).

With increasing number of recoveries, this gap is continuously widening.

56,480 have recovered and discharged in the last 24 hours whereas the new confirmed cases stand at 49,881.

79% of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 States/UTs.

Maharashtra  has contributed the maximum with more than 8,000 single day recoveries followed by Kerala with more than 7,000 recoveries. 

49,881 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.

79% of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs. Kerala continues to be the State reporting a very high number of new cases with more than 8,000 cases followed by Maharashtra with more than 6,000 cases. 

517 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours. Of these, nearly 81% are concentrated in ten States/UTs.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum fatalities with 91 cases.                                                                                                                                             

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MV/SJ

HFW/COVID States data/29thOctober2020/1

(Release ID: 1668359) Visitor Counter : 127

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Cabinet approves the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Cambodia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine

Posted On: 29 OCT 2020 3:41PM by PIB Delhi

 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cambodia on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.

The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the two countries through joint initiatives and technology development n the health sector.  It will strengthen bilateral ties between India and Cambodia.  The MoU shall become effective on the date of its signature and shall remain in force for a period of five years.

The main areas of cooperation between the two Governments include:

 

i.                        Mother and child health;

ii.                        Family Planning;

iii.                        HIV/AIDS and TB;

iv.                        Drugs and Pharmaceuticals;

v.                        Technology Transfer;

vi.                        Public Health and Epidemiology;

vii.                        Disease Control (Communicable and Non-Communicable);

viii.                        Medical Research and Development, subject to the approval of the National Ethic Committee of Cambodia and to the clearance by concerned Department/Ministry in India;

ix.                        Medical Education;

x.                        Health manpower development in the field of public health;

xi.                        Training in clinical, para-clinical and management skills; and

xii.                        Any other area of cooperation as may be mutually decided upon.

 

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VRRK

(Release ID: 1668394) Visitor Counter : 38

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Union Health Secretary reviews the status of and public health response measures to COVID-19 in West Bengal, Delhi and Kerala
States/UT advised to gear up “testing, tracking & treatment’ strategy during the festival season

Additional thrust to be given to public awareness as well as enforcement of COVID Appropriate Behaviours

Posted On: 29 OCT 2020 4:55PM by PIB Delhi

 

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary reviewed the status of COVID in the States/UT of West Bengal, Kerala and Delhi and their public health response measures in a meeting held through Video Conferencing today, in the presence of Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR. Health Secretaries from the States/UT, NHM MD, DGHS and other senior health officials participated virtually. Concerns regarding rising cases in these States/UT were highlighted in the meeting. 

Delhi has 29,378 active cases as of today with a Fatality Rate of 1.76% and a positivity rate of 7.9%. 5,673 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. There has been nearly 46% increase in the new cases over the past four weeks, and the positivity rate over the past four weeks has escalated by nearly 9%. The rising cases were attributed by the Delhi team to social gatherings during the festivities, the deteriorating air quality, increasing incidences of respiratory disorders, and clusters of positive cases at work places. The fatigue among frontline workers was also discussed.

The UT was advised to aggressively ramp up testing, increase RT-PCR tests, focus on contact tracing and effectively enforce isolation of the traced contacts within the first 72 hours. It was advised to focus on containment zones, and strict perimeter control to be implemented as per MHA guidelines. The health authorities were advised to give additional thrust to IEC practices and proactively promote wearing of mask and other COVID appropriate behaviours.  

West Bengal has 37,111 active cases as of today. The Case Fatality Rate of the State stands at 1.84% and the positivity rate is 8.3%. The State has registered 3,924 new cases in the last 24 hours. The average daily cases have recorded 23% increase over last four weeks. There is 1% increase in the positivity rate over the last four weeks. Darjeeling, Nadia, Medinipur West, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly are the top districts showing increasing trend in cases. Whereas, Murshidabad, Nadia, Coochbehar, Kolkata and Darjeeling have registered increase in the weekly deaths last week. The tests per million population (TPM) stand at 41,261 whereas the national TPM is 77,220.

The State was advised to strictly follow the ‘test-track-treat’ strategy. West Bengal health authorities were advised not to compromise on testing and keep the level of daily tests at a higher level with greater proportion of RT-PCR tests. It was advised to ensure proper Standard of Care and early identification as well as early hospitalisation of cases. It was also suggested to regularly monitor the symptom development and hospitalization trend amongst the home isolated patients. The State was advised to focus on rapid contact tracing, and quick isolation of the traced contacts to be effectively enforced.

The cases in Kerala are showing a rising trend. Total active cases are 93,369 as on date. The average daily cases have recorded 11% increase over the last four weeks. The number of new cases in last 14 days is 98,778. In the last 24 hours, Kerala has registered the maximum number of new cases with  8,790 cases. Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram are the top districts showing increasing trend in COVID cases. The State has been demonstrated better results in terms of COVID fatality. The fatality rate of State stands at 0.34%, although there has been increase in the weekly deaths in Thrissur (133%), Kollam (75%), Alappuzha (31%), Ernakulam (30%), and Kannur (15%).

Tests per million of the population are 66,755 and the positivity rate is at a significantly high level of 16.5%. The positivity rate has registered 41% increase over the last four weeks.

It was mentioned that the increase in the new cases due to festivities is a grave concern. The State has been suggested to ramp up IEC practices and promote mask wearing with more rigour.  While Kerala has been monitoring contact tracing activities across borders with neighbouring districts and States, certain districts with very high positivity rates, like Malappuram, need to enforce better management.

The States/UTs were also advised to ensure enforcement of precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing, sanitization, wearing of masks, etc.

                                                                                                                                               

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MV/SJ

HFW/Secy review Delhi, WB, Kerala/29thOctober2020/2

(Release ID: 1668445) Visitor Counter : 53