With yet another highest single-day spike of 1,159, the tally of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat crossed 60,000 on Thursday.
The number of cases in the State reached 60,285 while with 22 new deaths, the fatality toll due to the pandemic rose to 2,418.
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The State’s toll of active cases has jumped to 13,793, including 84 patients who are critically infected and surviving on ventilator support.
The total number of discharged patients from the State has reached 44,074. Gujarat has so far tested 7,38,073 samples since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, as the COVID-19 pandemic is reaching interiors in smaller towns and rural districts in the State, veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel in a letter to the Prime Minister stated that Gujarat needs to increase testing and set up testing centres across all districts because cases of infections are now coming from the hinterland.
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“As the disease spreads to rural areas, it is important to ensure that people do not have to travel far to get tested, as it further risks the spread of the disease,” he said.
“In Bharuch, people are still struggling to get themselves tested close to their residence. As a result, only 9,000 tests are being conducted,” said Mr. Patel in the letter.
He also asked for standard cremation guidelines and a dedicated crematorium in every district. “It is important that crematoriums and burial grounds don’t become a source of spread of infection,” he said.
“All COVID-19 hospitals should be equipped with correct protocols and ventilators and oxygen,” the letter said.
Mr. Patel, a seasoned parliamentarian, also sought PM Modi’s intervention in preventing blackmarketeering of life-saving drugs. Recently, the Gujarat authorities busted two State-wide rackets of blackmarketeering or expensive drugs being used for treating COVID-19 patients.
The Congress leader said there were several instances of people being forced to buy the drugs at exorbitant prices.
“A team from the Health Ministry should visit Bharuch and other vulnerable districts to assess the situation,” he stated in the letter.
According to Mr. Patel, he had written to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani a day after the “Janata curfew” in March to put in place a protocol but his advice had gone unheeded.