As the number of people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in India rose to 1,024 on Sunday evening, the concern was visible all across.  Ministry of Health’s latest figures put the toll at 27 as it  rose by two since the morning.

Joint Health Secretary Lav Agarwal at a press briefing said that India has reported six deaths and a total of 106 cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the last 24 hours.
Agarwal said the government is monitoring the situation closely to identify the emerging hotspots for the Covid-19 infection in the country. “Rigorous cluster containment strategy is being implemented on all such hotspots to contain the pandemic,” he said.

The Centre is also working in close coordination with the various state governments to create “standalone dedicated” hospitals or isolation blocks for coronavirus patients in order to reduce the chances of the infection from spreading to other patients, he added. He said the process for this has already started.

“High risk cases, which include age or contact history as criteria and the cases found to be serious are monitored,” Agarwal said. However, he said the figures for the number of patients who are on ventilators is not immediately available with the government.

The government has created ten focus groups to give guidance to all healthcare professionals in tackling the pandemic, the health ministry official said. The focus areas include quarantine facilities, isolation beds and medical emergency management among other factors.
As the country entered the fifth day of a countrywide lockdown announced by the Centre to break the chain of infection, the health ministry said the government, along with the Indian Railways, is using 1.25 lakh wagons to transport essential commodities such as food grains, sugar, salt, coal and petroleum to all corners. “The decision to impose the lockdown may seem strict to us right now, but it is extremely crucial in protecting lives,” Agarwal said.