COVID-19 doubling rate improves to 11 days, recovery at 25%: Govt

The current doubling rate of COVID-19 cases has improved to 11 days in India as compared to 3.4 days before the lockdown was imposed, the central government said on Thursday (April 30). It added the country now has a “progressive” 25.19% recovery rate while the fatality rate stands at 3.2 per cent.

During the daily briefing, Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal said 1,718 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 33,050 in the country. He said recovery rate for COVID-19 has improved from 13.06 to over 25 percent in the past 14 days. The death toll stands at 1,074, as per the ministry’s website.

“Recovery rate of COVID-19 cases stands at 25.19 per cent. This was 13.06 per cent 14 days ago. Fatality rate is 3.2 per cent. Co-morbidities was found in COVID-19 patients in 78% of the deaths. Doubling rate of the cases has now increased to 11 days,” said Agarwal.

Related news: Coronavirus death toll rises to 1,074; cases 33,050 in India

The health ministry official said the doubling rate of such cases was found to be between 11-20 days in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Doubling rate between 20-40 days has been seen in Karnataka, Ladakh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Kerala, he added.

He said the current fatality rate is 3.2 per cent for coronavirus in India, with 65 per cent of it being males and 35 per cent females. “If we divide it on basis of age, then 14 per cent case fatality was seen below 45 years, 34.8 per cent between 45-60 years and 51.2 per cent case fatality at above 60 years,” he said.

At the briefing, a Union home ministry spokesperson said the government has issued orders to states and union territories to facilitate inter-state movement of stranded people, as per guidelines laid down by the home ministry and as per protocols developed by states.

Asked whether the Centre is considering the proposal by state governments for running special trains to transport the stranded people like students and migrants labourers, MHA joint secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said as of now, the directives are to use buses only.

(With inputs from agencies)