On a day when another surge of almost 20,00 new cases took India’s Covid-19 tally past 5.28 lakh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh announced a door-to-door survey like Delhi, Goa, Odisha and Jharkhand to contain the rising number of infections.
It was for the fifth straight day that Covid-19 cases in the country rose by more than 15,000.
Maharashtra continues to be the state with the highest Covid-19 tally at 1,64,626 followed by Delhi at 83,077.
Out of a tally 5.28 lakh, 3.09 lakh people have recovered. The recovery rate now stands at over 58.5%. The Centre said that recoveries have overtaken active Covid-19 cases by over one lakh because of “proactive steps”
“The graded, pre-emptive and proactive steps taken by the Government of India along with the states and UTs for prevention, containment and management of Covid-19 are showing encouraging results,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.
The number of active cases stands at 2,03,051, while 3,09,712 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, according to the updated data.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Mann Ki Baat radio address that India will have to focus on defeating coronavirus and bolstering the economy as it enters the “unlock” phase. He underlined the need to remain more vigilant.
“Always remember, if you do not wear a mask, do not observe the two-yard social distancing norms or do not take other precautions, you are putting others at risk besides yourselves, especially the elderly and children at home,” he said.
In Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ruled out lifting restrictions after June 30 because the crisis is not over.
“Lockdown will not be lifted after June 30 as the risk of infection is not over yet. We are extending our relaxation step by step,” Thackeray said in an address.
The unlock process, dubbed Mission Begin Again by the state government, is being gradually implemented to put the economy back on track, Thackeray said.
Mumbai, which has over 75,000 cases continues to be under severe restrictions with movement beyond a two-km radius allowed only for attending office or medical emergencies.
Some salons opened in Mumbai on Sunday after a gap of three months as the government eased curbs under Mission Begin Again.
In Delhi, the number of Covid-19 containment zones has risen to 421 after a re-mapping of such areas — an increase of 141 zones — in the last two days.
A serological survey is currently on in the national capital and is scheduled to end on July 6 after screening every household.
“We have screened around two lakh people for Covid-19 in a house-to-house survey being conducted across the city. Also, 45,000 people have been screened in Covid-19 containment zones,” an official told PTI.
Telangana, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the other states with more than 10,00 cases.
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh will also conduct house-to-house surveys.
Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said the state will launch a large-scale campaign from Meerut division in July, where house-to-house survey will be undertaken similar to the pulse polio immunisation. “It will be carried out in containment and non-containment zones,” he said.
The Madhya Pradesh government said it will launch a 15-day ‘Kill Corona’ campaign from July 1 to control the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
During a virtual review meeting Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a door-to-door survey will be conducted and citizens would be tested for other diseases as well.
A total 2.5 lakh tests will be carried out and 15,000 to 20,000 samples would be collected daily, the MP government said in a press release.
In Karnataka, which recorded more than 1,000 cases for the first time on Sunday, police said criminal cases will be filed against those who do not wear masks and flout social distancing rules. In a series of tweets, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao issued those warnings in a series of tweets.
