No fresh case of coronavirus in Bhilwara for several days: Rajasthan Health Minister

Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma on Saturday said there has been no new case of coronavirus infection in Bhilwara district for several days whereas the situation in Jaipur's Ramganj area is fully under control.

Massive contact tracing of coronavirus positive patients and screening of people under an aggressive containment model helped authorities check the spread of the disease in Bhilwara district, one of the country's COVID-19 hotspots.

The "Bhilwara model" has come in for praise from several quarters including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Union cabinet secretary.

A total of 1,282 people were found infected with coronavirus in the state out of which 183 people have been cured and 93 of them discharged from hospital, the health minister said. Curfew restrictions have been imposed at 49 places in the state as a precautionary measure, Sharma said.

Due to high population density in Ramganj in the state capital, the government has built quarantine centres in Nayla and Mahla areas of the city with a combined capacity of up to 15,000 people, the health minister said. More than 1,800 people are currently availing quarantine facilities at the centres.

Rapid testing kits have also arrived in the state that would be used to augment existing methods to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection, he added.

Sharma assured that medical infrastructure in the state will be strengthened as Chief Minister Gehlot has instructed all district collectors to hold a meeting with medical officers in 10 days and prepare a blueprint for strengthening medical facilities.