COVID-19 case tally crosses 3,000-mark in Ahmedabad; 12 die

The COVID-19 tally crossed the 3,000-mark in Ahmedabad on Thursday with the detection of 249 new cases, while the death toll rose to 149, health department officials said.

With the addition of 249 new cases in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus tally in Ahmedabad stood at 3,021, they said.

While 12 more people - seven men and five women - succumbed to COVID-19 in the city, taking the toll to 149, a release by the health department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said.

Fifty-three patients - 26 men and 27 women - recovered from the disease and were discharged from various city hospitals, it said.

The total patients who have been discharged stood at 316.

There are 2551 active cases in the city of which 35 are critical and are on ventilator, while 2516 are stable, the release said.

Out of the 12 persons who died, four had nounderlying health conditions, while the eight others had other diseases like diabetes, hypertension, kidney problem and asthma, the statement said.

Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said two trust-run hospitals of the city have signed MoUs with the civic body to treat COVID-19 patients.

Trustees of Lokhandwala Hospital in the Old City area and SMS Hospital in Chandkheda have decided to turn their hospitals into dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.

"Lokhandwala Hospital has capacity of 50 beds, while the other hospital is of 100 beds. They will treat patients free of charge and also provide food to them two times in a day, Nehra said.

"The municipal corporation will provide PPE kits, N-95 masks, medicines and even staff to these two hospitals," he said.

Nehra said after the current lockdown gets over on May 3, cases are likely toincrease gradually unless people strictly follow guidelines to save themselves from the infection.

He requested people to adhere to guidelines of wearing masks and maintain social distance to avoid getting infected.