From Our Bureau
23rd AUGUST 2020
India witnessed a big surge with 69,239 fresh COVID-19 positive cases reported on Saturday, taking the country’s cumulative tally to 30,44,940. The death toll rose to 56,706, with 912 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.
With the recoveries of 57,989 COVID patients in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has reached 22,80,566 today. The Recovery Rate has reached 74.90 percent.
India’s total recoveries now exceed the total active cases, numbering 7,07,668, by nearly 16 lakhs (1,572,898).
As the graph shows, the average daily number of recoveries is on a constant upward move from 15,018 (1-7 July 2020) to 60,557 during the week of 19-13 August 2020.
The constantly increasing recoveries have ensured that the actual caseload of the country, viz. the active cases, has reduced and currently comprises only 23.24 percent of the total positive cases.
This has also resulted in gradually falling mortality rate. Currently at 1.86 percent, India’s Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is one of the lowest globally. It has been made possible because by comprehensive and sustained effectiveness of the Centre’s policy of TESTING aggressively, TRACKING comprehensively and TREATING efficiently.
Higher number of recoveries and declining mortality rate among COVID patients have shown that India’s graded and pro-active strategies are delivering results on the field.
Starting from one test in January 2020 through a single lab in Pune, India has exceeded cumulative tests of more than 3.5 crore today. Consistently testing more than 8 lakh tests since the last six days, with 8,01,147 COVID-19 tests in the past 24 hours, the total has touched 3,52,92,220.
The steep rise in the testing is a result of effective implementation of the aggressive testing strategy of the Central Government through a focussed and graded approach.
The rising average daily tests during the past three weeks present a strong depiction of the progress made in enhancement of COVID-19 tests across the country.
The rise in the daily testing has been followed by decrease in the average daily positivity rate.
Keeping a sharp focus on the “Test, Track and Treat” policy, the Tests Per Million Population have seen a boost touching 25,574 today. It is only by aggressive testing that the positive cases can be identified, their contacts tracked in a timely manner and promptly isolated, as well as the severe and critical patients provided the needed clinical treatment.
The TESTING strategy also ensured a steady expansion of the national lab network. Today, with 983 labs in the government sector and 532 private labs, 1,515 labs are providing comprehensive testing facilities to the people.
These include: Real-Time RT PCR based testing labs: 780 (Govt: 458 + Private: 322), TrueNat based testing labs: 617 (Govt: 491 + Private: 126) and CBNAAT based testing labs: 118 (Govt: 34 + Private: 84). (eom)
