Gujarat continues to see a surge in cases as the second wave of the pandemic sweeps the State. On Saturday, 2,276 cases, its highest case count since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, were recorded.
The State is also witnessing a rise in mortality with five deaths on Saturday. The active cases have jumped to 10,871 and 157 patients are on ventilator support.
In the main cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, more than 70% of the COVID-19 beds have been occupied. “We will continue to witness a rise in cases for the next few weeks,” a top doctor from Ahmedabad told The Hindu.
He said there is also a sudden spurt in demand for ICU beds.
Ahmedabad and Surat recorded 600 plus cases on Saturday. In Ahmedabad, the leading IIMA has been declared a containment zone with more than 35 cases emerging from the business school.
“If drastic steps are not taken, then we may run out of hospital beds in both places,” a senior medical practitioner said, adding the authorities have been caught napping while the pandemic spread in even rural areas this time.
The State government announced that a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test report will be mandatory for those arriving from other States. It must be taken in the previous 72 hours and carry a negative report. The order will come into force on April 1.
Earlier, it made negative test report a must only for those coming from neighbouring Maharashtra.
“The infection rate is increasing in many States. It is also seen that the prevalence of COVID-19 is high among those who have travel history,” the Health Department said in a notification.
