By Krishnan Nayar NEW DELHI, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2020) Deaths in India from the new coronavirus, COVID-19, crossed the 1,000-mark on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare here announced. As of 17.00 local time (UAE time 15.30), 1,008 people have died from the disease.
Recoveries from the pandemic also significantly went up to 7,797, while 22,892 people are being treated in hospitals across India. That brings the total COVID-19 cases to 31,787 to date.
Convinced that India’s anti-coronavirus strategy is working by the low infection and morbidity rates compared to global figures, the Narendra Modi government has extended the tenure of a top bureaucrat who is leading the anti-coronavirus efforts.
Preeti Sudan, India’s Health Secretary, was to have retired on Thursday, but she was asked to continue in office for three months until the pandemic is brought under control and the country reopens for business, as the government here hopes.
Meanwhile, Amitabh Kant, who heads the ‘Empowered Group in government coordinating with international organisations, identified 15 places on Tuesday, which included the cities of New Delhi and Mumbai as "critical" in the fight against COVID-19.
"There are 15 districts, which are critical in our battle against COVID-19. Of them, seven show particularly high case volumes. India’s success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. We must aggressively monitor, contain, test and treat in these districts. We must win here," Kant said.
India’s Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, is closely looking at these cities, which are the country’s engines of growth as the government considers whether to extend a 40-day lockdown, which ends on 3rd May.
