Guj: 33 COVID-19 cases; survey of foreign returnees being done

The total number of COVID-19 patients in Gujarat rose to 33 with three more coronavirus positive cases reported in the state, the health department said on Tuesday.

The state has been conducting a survey through Integrated Disease Surveillance Platform (IDSP) of people with travel history to abroad, Principal Secretary (Health), Jayanti Ravi said.

Gujarat is the first state to start such a survey for coronavirus, she claimed.

Out of the three new cases found in the state, two are of local transmission in state capital Gandhinagar, while one patient reported from Surat has history of travel to Saudi Arabia.

With this, Ahmedabad has reported13 coronavirus cases, Vadodara, Surat and Gandhinagar six each, and Rajkot and Kutch one case each, the official said.

The Gujarat government on Monday night announced a lockdown across the state till March 31.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will hold high-powered committee meeting everyday to review the situationuntil the lockdown is in force, she said.

So far, around 10 lakh people have been surveyed under the IDSP, and the process continues with the help of other departments, she said.

Till date, 11,108 people have been placed under 14-day quarantine, out of which 10,850 are under home quarantine, 34 in private hospitals, and 224 in government facilities, the official said.

As many as 21 FIRs have been filed so far against those breaking the quarantine protocol, she said.

Gujarat is the first state to start the survey through IDSP of people with travel history to abroad, who returned to Gujarat from various airports, based on data provided by the central government, Ravi said.

"The survey is also being done of people who have reportedsevere acute respiratory infection, high breathlessness or high fever, and ailments that could be suspected cases," she said.

The government is also in the process of setting up special hospitals in four cities to deal with only cases of coronavirus patients. These hospitals will be in Ahmedabad (1,200 beds), Surat (500 beds), Vadodara (250 beds) and Rajkot (250 beds).

The state government hospitals have isolation wards with 1,583 beds, while private hospitals in the state have isolation wards with 635 beds to deal with coronavirus cases, she said.