New Delhi: From Friday evening to Saturday evening, the death toll due to COVID-19 increased by 58. If you went by the figures released by the Union Health Ministry, this is the highest increase for a 24-hour period. The figure lent a darker tinge to the official numbers released by the Union government, (which tend to lag those released by the states).
So the case count as per the rashtra sarkari figures is 779 deaths and 24,942 corona positives at 8 pm in the evening.
But then, there's so much data floating about on the coronavirus pandemic that you could draw the conclusion you wanted depending on what your mood of the moment was.
So here be hope: The average doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 9.1 days as of now. From 8 am Friday to 8 am Saturday, India recorded 6 per cent growth in new cases, which is the lowest daily growth rate recorded since the country crossed 100 cases, the government said.
This figure was one of the many considered at the 13th meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19, chaired by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan.
The GOM was briefed on state-wise details soured from dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, along with the adequacy of isolation beds and wards, PPE kits, N95 masks, drugs, ventilators and oxygen cylinders, among others, the health ministry said.
Here's some of what was told to the GoM:
* The average doubling rate of the country is 9.1 days as of now.
* Some 5,062 people have been cured so far, giving us a recovery rate of 20.66 per cent, which is better than many other countries.
* The death rate is at 3.1 per cent.
* Domestic manufacture of PPE kits and masks has begun.
* There are 104 domestic manufacturers of PPE and three of N95 masks in the country.
* More than one lakh PPE kits and N95 masks are being manufactured every day in the country.
* Around 92,000 NGOs, self-help groups (SHGs) and civil society organisations are working and contributing by providing food to migrant workers across the country.
