Coronavirus in India: Door-to-Door Testing, Border Sealing, Lockdown Extension: What Worst-Hit 10 States Are Doing

Coronavirus in India: While Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are depending on a renewed version of lockdown, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka are focussing on amping up the testing facilities.

Coronavirus in India: As the number of fresh COVID-19 cases is breaching new record every day, the Centre has changed its COVID strategy by using a combination of various tests and by making testing available to all symptomatic patients. Meanwhile, state governments are also changing their COVID-19 strategies.

Here are what the worst-hit 10 states in the country are doing

Maharashtra: As many as 3,890 new COVID-19 cases were registered in Maharashtra on Wednesday, taking the count of patients to 1,42,900, a health department official said. Coronavirus also claimed the lives of as many as 208 people, taking the state’s fatality count to 6,739

Delhi: Delhi, which already is the second worst-hit state in terms of coronavirus caseload and fatalities, overtook Mumbai after the number of cases soared by 3,788 to touch 70,390. Mumbai has so far recorded 69,625 cases, according to official figures.

As part of the Delhi government’s revised COVID-19 response plan, a house-to-house screening will be completed by June 30 in containment zones and for the rest of the city by July 6.

Tamil Nadu

The surge in COVID-19 cases continued unabated in Tamil Nadu with an all-time high of 2,865 people testing positive in a single day on Wednesday, taking the tally to 67,468 while the toll mounted to 866 with 33 deaths. Inter-district public transport bus services are being withdrawn for six days in Tamil Nadu from Thursday and e-pass made mandatory for travel outside a district, the government announced, reintroducing the curbs amid the continuing surge in COVID-19 cases.

Gujarat

The number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose by 572 on Wednesday to cross the 29,000-mark while 25 people, including 15 in Ahmedabad, have died, taking the total fatality count in the state to 1,736,

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh reported eight more deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the state’s toll to 596, while 664 fresh infections were detected. Samples of health workers, shopkeepers and salesmen were collected under targeted random sampling. Antigen testing will commence on Thursday in six districts of Meerut Division, and cities of Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar, Gorakhpur.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan reported 10 COVID-19 deaths and 382 fresh cases on Wednesday, taking the number of fatalities in the state to 375 and cases to 16,009

West Bengal: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an extension of the lockdown in the containment zones till July 31. The lockdown in these zones was to end on June 30. With overall cases in the state inching towards 15,000, it is in the 7th position in the all India tally.

Madhya Pradesh: The COVID-19 count in Madhya Pradesh rose to 12,448 on Wednesday with the detection of 187 fresh cases, including 45 in Bhopal. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced that a campaign named ‘Kill Corona’ will be launched from July 1, under which members of every household in the state will be surveyed for coronavirus-like symptoms.

Teams of health workers are being formed to implement this door-to-door exercise.

After over 50 fresh cases of COVID-19 were found within two days in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena, the authorities here sealed the district’s border with Dholpur in neighbouring Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Haryana: Ten COVID-19 deaths and 490 infections were reported in Haryana on Wednesday, with the state’s tally of total cases rising to 12,010. Gurgaon reported six new fatalities, one person died in Faridabad and three COVID-19 deaths were reported in Rewari district, the state health department’s daily bulletin said.

The total number of deaths due to novel coronavirus in Haryana now stands at 188.

Gurgaon and Faridabad districts, which fall in the National Capital Region, now have 75 and 65 fatalities.

Karnataka: The Karnataka government has issued an order notifying establishment of fever clinics and swab collection centres in 66 private hospitals or medical colleges in the city, aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.