The number of deaths due to coronavirus COVID-19 in India jumped to 25 on Sunday (March 29), including a 45-year-old patient who died in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
Gujarat government's Health and Family Welfare department that with the death of one more patient the total number of fatalities in the state due to coronavirus has climbed to five. The department added that the man was also suffering from diabetes.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra climbed to 193 on Sunday as seven more cases were reported in the state. Out of these seven cases, four were reported from Mumbai and one each from Pune, Sangli and Nagpur.
The total number of coronavirus cases in India climbed to 979 on Sunday. This includes 86 recovered/discharged and 25 deaths.
In a related development, India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday (March 28) reiterated that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 in India so far but the ICMR said that around 10 per cent of those who have been tested positive so far due to severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) have been found positive for the deadly virus.
Talking to ANI, ICMR scientist R Gangakhedkar said that out of 110 people, who were tested due to SARI hospitalisation, about 11 have tested positive for coornavirus.
"Also, three of these patients, who belong from Chennai, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra do not have any travel history nor any contact with an infected patient. These few cropped up cases are not the base of solid evidence for community transmission. So, it has not started in India and there is nothing to panic. People should maintain social distancing to avoid any crisis," Gangakhedkar added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund), a public charitable trust. The fund has been set up so that the people who want to contribute can do so by following a few simple steps which will help the government tide over the major COVID-19 hurdle.
