Gujarat reports 3 deaths, total 43 positive COVID-19 cases

Gujarat has so far reported total of three deaths linked to COVID-19 and the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in the state has gone up to 43, state health department briefed on Thursday.

"Till now, 43 positive cases of coronavirus have been detected in the state," Gujarat Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Jayanti Ravi told mediapersons here.

"The three deaths include one 85-year-old woman with a travel history to Saudi Arabia and the 70-year old man from Bhavnagar, whose positive report we got today. Both had comorbid conditions," Jayanti Ravi said.

Earlier, a 69-year old male had died in Surat, making him the first death from COVID-19 in the state.

AS per data shared by the state health department Ahmedabad has15 cases, Surat has 7, Rajkot 4, Gandhinagar 7, Vadodara 8, Kutch 1 and Bhavnagar 1.

Out of the three new cases, one patient has history of travel to Dubai, while the two others are cases of local transmission of the viral infection, the official added.

According to report from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) India had tested 24,254 people as of 8 p.m. on March 25.

The country is now in its second day of a 21-day lockdown that was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.