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New Delhi : As a result of ramping up its testing facilities on a sustained basis, India has touched a new high of the highest number of COVID-19 sample tests in a single day so far. A record high of 8,48,728 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. This has taken the cumulative tests to 2,76,94,416.
WHO has advised that a country needs 140 tests per day per million population. While the national average is 603 tests/day/million population, 34 States/UTs have exceeded this figure.The network, as on August 14, 2020, consists of 1,451 labs with 958 in the government sector and 493 private labs.
Successful implementation of TESTING aggressively, TRACKING comprehensively & TREATING efficiently has ensured a rising Recovery Rate, which stands at 71.17%.. The total recovered COVID-19 patients have increased to more than 17.5 lakh (17,51,555). The recoveries exceed the active cases (6,61,595) by nearly 11 lakh (1,089,960).
Effective clinical management through a Standard of Care treatment protocol has further ensured progressive and sustained decline in the mortality among COVID patients. The Case Fatality Rate was pegged at 1.95% on August 14, 2020, maintaining its path of steady decline.
In view of the strengthened domestic production capacity and having met the domestic requirements for PPEs, the revised notification of the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in July 2020 permitted export of PPEs. As a result of this relaxation, in July 2020 itself, India exported 23 lakh PPEs to five countries. They include the USA, UK, UAE, Senegal, and Slovania, according to a PIB release.
This has substantially aided India to position itself in the global export market of PPEs. The “Make in India’ spirit embedded in the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan has resulted in providing resilience and self-sufficiency to the country for various medical equipment including PPEs. While the Union Government is supplying PPEs, N95 masks, ventilators etc., to the State/UT Governments, States are also procuring these items directly. Between March to August 2020, they have procured 1.40 crore indigenous PPEs from their own budgetary resources. During the same period, the Centre has distributed 1.28 cr PPEs to States / UTs / Central Institutions, free of cost.
Kerala: The CM and four Ministers including Health Minister, Assembly Speaker and State Police Chief have entered into self-quarantine after coming in the primary contact list of Malappuram District Collector and SP who have tested positive for Covid-19. The situation in Malappuram is grim as the Collectorate is turning into a Covid cluster with District Collector, Deputy Collector, and 20 other revenue officials testing positive for the infection. Many of them had been involved in the rescue operations at Karipur flight crash site. Capital Thiruvananthapuram has become the worst affected Covid district in the state. Meanwhile, the state government has decided to limit the Independence Day celebrations to 15 minutes to avoid chances of disease transmission due to crowding. General public will not be allowed to the venue.