India reports its highest COVID-19 deaths in a day as toll touches 7
A 69-year-old coronavirus-infected man died in Surat on Sunday, taking the country’s total number of deaths due to the rapidly-spreading virus to seven. Two more deaths were reported earlier in the day -- one each from Bihar and Maharashtra. Both the patients had tested positive for COVID-19.
A 69-year-old coronavirus-infected man died in Surat on Sunday (March 22), taking the country’s total number of deaths due to the rapidly-spreading virus to seven. This is the third death reported in the country on Sunday, the highest in a day so far.
The patient who died in Surat was having co-morbid conditions. So far, Gujarat has confirmed a total of 18 cases, according to news agency PTI. Meanwhile, a 65-year-old woman too died with co-morbid conditions in Vadodara on Sunday, and her test results are awaited, said the state health department.
Two more deaths were reported earlier in the day — one each from Bihar and Maharashtra. Both the patients had tested positive for COVID-19.
Maharashtra reported its second death on Sunday after a 63-year-old man, who had a chronic history of diabetes, high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease, died at a private hospital in Mumbai. Bihar reported its first death after a 38-year-old with a recent travel history to Qatar died of renal failure in Patna.
So far, only Maharashtra has reported two deaths, and Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi and Punjab have reported one death each.
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The rise in death toll comes even as the entire country is observing a 14-hour ‘janata curfew’ as proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To contain the spread of the virus, Indian Railways has even announced suspension of all its passenger services from March 22 midnight to March 31 midnight.
So far, the Union health ministry said novel coronavirus cases in India have risen to 324. However, the ICMR stated 341 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases.
A total of 16,999 samples from 16,109 individuals have been tested for SARS-CoV2 as on March 22 10 am, the ICMR said. The Health Ministry’s 324 figure includes 41 foreign nationals and five deaths reported from Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra (2) so far.
(With inputs from agencies)
