Gujarat on Monday recorded 196 COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, taking the numbers to 1,939 and 71 deaths.
Monday also saw 26 patients getting discharged after recovery making it the single day largest recovery. So far 131 people have recovered and been discharged.
However, 19 patients are critical and on ventilator support while the other 1,718 are stable and under treatment. The critical patients include a senior Congress leader of Ahmedabad and municipal councillor Badaruddin Sheikh, who is on ventilator.
Ahmedabad remains top on the curve in infections and deaths. So far, 1,248 people have been found infected of whom 38 have succumbed to the COVID-19 while 49 have been discharged after recovery.
Surat turns a cluster
Surat has emerged as another cluster with rapid surge in cases — 269 so far. Of them, 10 have died and 11 discharged in Surat.
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According to the Health department, the deceased are mostly those with comorbidities like diabetes, hypertension or other disease.
The State has so far tested 33,316 samples. Of them, 1,939 samples tested positive for COVID-19.
The government has given permission to three private hospitals in Ahmedabad to admit and treat the infected after a surge in number of cases, requiring additional beds and medical infrastructure, including doctors. The three hospitals are Narayani Hrudayalay, Sterling Hospital and HCG Hospital.
So far, the patients were admitted to the Civil Hospital, the SPV hospital and others run by the Municipal Corporation.
According to sources, as the cases rise, the State will allow private hospitals to admit and treat COVID-19 patients in other cities as well.
The State government has also extended curfew till April 24 in parts of Ahmedabad and Surat as the containment strategy for hotspots.
In another decision aimed at smooth operations in hospitals and to oversee measures for lockdown and containment, the government has deputed eight senior IAS officials from the Secretariat to the fields in Ahmedabad and Surat.
