COVID-19 Positive Cases Surge to 421, Kerala & Maharashtra Reports 15 Fresh Cases Each

Thiruvananthapuram, March 23, 2020:

Novel coronavirus or COVID -19 has taken a dangerous turn in India with a total of 421 positive cases and 81 single-day spike in the past 24 hours.

Maharashtra and Kerala, which are the two worst-hit States in the country, have reported 89 and 67 confirmed cases respectively. Raising the concerns over increasing cases of infections, Maharashtra and Kerala have reported as many as 15 fresh positive cases each till the filing of this report.

Considering the latest trends in India, the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing every 30 minutes, thereby signaling at a possible health crisis situation. However, the Government has prepping up to sensitize the citizens regarding the preventive measures that can be taken on an individual level.

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Maharashtra witnessed a sharp rise in the last 24 hours with state authorities reporting as many as 15 new cases. Out of these, 14 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai and 1 in Pune.

State authorities have revealed that eight of the 15 new cases, who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, are acquaintances of those who testes positive earlier. 4 of the recently discovered patients have a travel history to countries affected by COVID-19.

This comes a day after a second person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Maharashtra died at a hospital in Mumbai on Sunday.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has invoked relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to order the closure of all non-essential services and businesses in the State.

Mumbai's suburban train system has also decided to stop operations till March 31 in a bid to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the second State with the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in India after Maharashtra has also reported 15 fresh cases, taking the total toll to 67 till the filing of this report.

The Kerala Health department said that out of the 15, 5 are in Kasaragod district, 4 in Kannur and 2 each in Malappuram, Kozhikode and Ernakulam districts.

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The state's first three positive Covid-19 cases had been discharged already after they recovered. The Health Ministry, in a report, said, "A total of 59,295 people are under observation in the state, out of which 314 are in isolation wards." It added, "At least 4,035 samples have been sent for testing and 2,744 came back negative."

It needs mention here that India is taking lockdown measures in a bold step to curb coronavirus menace. In a latest move, the central government has ordered lockdown in all the States of the country. The Sates, however, will adopt the necessary measures to follow the central government's directive.

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