COVID-19: 3 more deaths take nationwide toll to 38; total 1,637 cases so far

New Delhi, April 1

The number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 1,637 in the country on Wednesday while the death toll rose to 38, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,466, while 132 persons were either cured or discharged and one had migrated to another country, the ministry stated.

As per the health ministry's updated data at 9 am, three deaths were reported since the last update on Tuesday. However, it could not be known from which parts of the country these three fatalities were reported.

Till Tuesday night, Maharashtra had reported the most deaths (9) in the country so far, followed by Gujarat (6), Karnataka (3), Madhya Pradesh (3), Punjab (3), Delhi (2), West Bengal (2) and Jammu and Kashmir (2).         

Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh have reported a death each. 

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra both reported deaths on Monday. 

The state’s health department said a 51-year-old coronavirus patient died on Wednesday, taking the state’s death toll to 13.

Uttar Pradesh reported two deaths on Wednesday.

A 25-year-old Basti man died at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College on Monday before his test reports had come in, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said.

 He was admitted there on Sunday, but was being treated at Basti's district hospital and other places for liver and kidney ailments for the last three months.

In an official tally released by the state government, the death is listed under Basti district.

The other UP victim was the 72-year-old father-in-law of a Maharashtra man, who had come to Meerut on a visit and infected 16 relatives, district officials said.

Six people, including doctor and paramedical staff, who came in contact with the Basti victim have been quarantined, Gorakhpur District Magistrate Vijyendra Pandiyan told reporters.

“We have alerted the Basti administration and they are also tracking each person who came in contact or attended the funeral,” he said.

These deaths have yet to be added to the official tally maintained by the central Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

Safdarjung doctors test positive

Two resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi have tested positive for coronavirus infection, official sources said on Wednesday.

One of the two who was part of the team treating COVID-19 patients at the hospital is believed to have contracted the disease during the course of duty, they said.

Meanwhile, some 100 people gathered for a religious congregation at a dargah in Sarwar town of Rajasthan's Ajmer district, forcing police to use force to disperse the crowd.

Six people have been arrested for violating lockdown restrictions in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.

As per tradition, a chadar is offered every year by the khadims of Ajmer dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti to the dargah in Sarwar.

 The Tablaghi conundrum

Meanwhile, Centre and states continued to track down people who attended a religious congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin that has become the latest cause for worry.

At least 35 people who were part of a gathering at a religious congregation held in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month have been traced to Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, an official said on Wednesday.

As many as 29 of them are nationals from Indonesia, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana and other countries, while the rest are locals, he said.

The official added that a foreigner and a local who were part of the group have found positive to coronavirus infection.

Bihar’s Principal Health Secretary Sanjay Kumar said some 81 people are said to  have travelled to different parts of Bihar after attending the congregation.

Thirty of the 81 people have been identified and subjected to medical examination, including 17 Kyrgyztan nationals, he said.

Assam said four more people who attended the event tested positive. The number takes the number of cases in the state to five, all of who attended the event.

 "The number in Assam is expected to go up by this evening as some more tested positive at Jorhat Medical College Hospital, but we can declare it only after all the confirmatory tests, according to guidelines and protocol, are completed," Sarma said.

Nizamuddin area has emerged as one of the hotspots for coronavirus outbreak since the 'markaz' or gathering of Tabligh-e-Jamaat was held there, prompting many states to launch a massive search for the attendees.

Uttar Pradesh said it tracked down and isolated two people who attended the event. District Magistrate Avinash Krishna Singh said the two people were tracked down in Sambhal and isolated.

"As per the state government's instructions, checking was done at a number of places and two persons, who attended the  the Tablighi Jamaat meet, were found," District Magistrate Avinash Krishna Singh said.

"Both have been isolated, and their samples have been sent for testing," he added

So far, 24 people who attended the religious congregation at Tabligh-e-Jamaat's Markaz have tested positive for coronavirus, while 1,548 have been evacuated and 441 hospitalised after they showed its symptoms.. Agencies

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