Lockdown helping minimise virus spread, but much more tests needed: Govt

Asserting that the ongoing lockdown has helped minimise the spread of coronavirus, the government on Thursday said the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has almost doubled in last the ten days but testing needs to be ramped up continuously for a decisive battle against the pandemic. The nationwide tally, meanwhile, rose to 21,700 cases and 686 deaths.

As the nationwide lockdown entered its 30th day, concerns over its economic cost also escalated with the apex industry body CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) forecasting a 0.9 per cent decline in the GDP in the case of a prolonged lockdown and a best case scenario of 1.5 per cent growth for the current fiscal. Global rating agency Fitch also slashed its FY20-21 GDP growth estimate for the country to 0.8 per cent.

A high-level group of top bureaucrats, comprising of Union Home Secretary and his counterpart in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Industry Trade, reviewed measures to speed up economic and industrial activities and held a video conference with representatives of industry associations.

In its evening 5 PM update, the Union Health Ministry put the total number of confirmed infections across the country at 21,700 with at least 686 deaths. It also said that at least 4,324 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged. More than five lakh tests have been conducted so far.

Maharashtra alone has reported more than 5,600 cases and at least 269 deaths, while Gujarat has seen over 2,400 confirmed infections with over 100 deaths and Delhi has more than 2,200 cases with 48 deaths. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have also reported large number of cases.

The rate of recovery has improved to 19.89 per cent, from 9.99 per cent ten days ago on April 14, while 12 districts have reported not a single case in the last 28 days, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said. The number of districts with no cases in last 14 days has also increased to 78.

Government officials said it has been able to "cut coronavirus transmission", minimise its spread and increase the doubling time of COVID-19 cases in the country during the 30-day period of the nationwide lockdown.

While asserting that the growth of coronavirus cases in the country has been more or less linear and not exponential, it also said testing has been ramped up consistently.

Addressing a daily press conference on the COVID-19 situation in the country, C K Mishra, the chairman of Empowered Group Two, said testing has been a "crucial weapon" during the 30-day lockdown period, which began on March 24, to ascertain if one has contracted the disease or not.

As on March 23, nearly 15,000 tests were done across the country and by April 22 more than 5 lakh tests were conducted, which is about "33 times in 30 days", he said, adding, "But we are conscious of the fact that this is not enough and we have to continuously ramp up testing in the country and we will do that."