PM reviews Covid effort, discusses boosting tests

NATIONWIDE DEATH TOLL 9,000

Covid-19 situation in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Thane, Ahmedabad and Indore, all hot spots of the viral pandemic, was in focus during an extended review meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, health minister Harsh Vardhan, Niti Aayog member Vinod Paul, and key officials in charge of the various empowered groups managing various facets of India’s response to the pandemic.

On Saturday, Delhi added 2134 new cases, the second highest number of cases it has added in a 24-hour period (the highest was on Friday, 2,137) and Chennai, 1989, the highest the city has added in a day. Mumbai, Thane, Ahmedabad, and Indore are also

Coronavirus deaths in India crossed 9,000 on Saturday, with the country adding the last 1,000 deaths in three days.

Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi account for roughly two-thirds of all deaths in India, which recorded an average of 377 deaths every day over the past week.

On Saturday, the death

hot spots.

“60-70% of the cases are confined to these cities and their containment strategies need to be reviewed,’’ said the member of an empowered group present at the meeting and who asked not toll touched 9,196, having crossed 8,000 on June 10 and 7,000 on June 3. With 321,405 cases as on Saturday night, India’s case fatality rate is 2.9%, compared to the world’s 5.5%.

In all, India’s Covid-19 toll has increased by at least 6,000 in less than four weeks, with total deaths crossing the 3,000 mark on May 18.

to be identified.

A second official present in the meeting said discussions also focused on the states, where these cities are located, falling behind on testing and contact tracing.