The number of coronavirus positive patients in Gujarat doubled from 617 after April 14 to 1,272 on April 17, but this rate slowed down in the subsequent six days up to April 23 during which 1352 more cases were detected, as per the analysis by Health department.
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The total number of coronavirus positive cases in Gujarat stood at 2,815 by April 24 evening.
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“The number of COVID-19 patients nearly-doubled from 617 cases after April 13 to 1,272 cases on April 17, which was a sharp rise,” Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said on Saturday.
However, the doubling rate of cases slowed down to six days after April 17 up to April 23, when the number of cases rose from 1,272 to 2,624, as per the data.
The State recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours ended on April 18 when 332 persons had tested positive for coronavirus, it said.
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In Gujarat, 30 of the 33 districts have reported coronavirus positive cases.
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Ms. Ravi said, “Social distancing measures such as lockdown, containment and curfew have delayed or controlled the possible exponential curve”.
She said 80 per cent of the total COVID-19 patients are silent carriers of the virus and asymptomic, while 15 per cent are symptomatic.
“The fight is most importantly for the remaining 5 per cent of the patients who are suffering from serious ailments like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, TB, asthma, HIV, heart and lung diseases, mental diseases, among others,” Ms. Ravi added.
In terms of testing, the state government conducted 3028 tests in the last 24 hours ending on Saturday, Ms. Ravi said.
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She said 3,280 rapid anti-body tests were conducted in various districts.
“In terms of the test per million, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has achieved 2,701 tests per million, which is the highest in the country, compared to 1,491.97 in the Union Territory of Delhi, 930.7 in Tamil Nadu, and 836.34 in Rajasthan. The country’s average test per million rate is 392.5,” Ms. Ravi said.
Gujarat has reported the average test per million rate of 721, she added.
Ms. Ravi said Gujarat is among the states which has the largest number of laboratories for testing coronavirus cases.
According to Ms. Ravi, 45,621 persons placed under quarantine in the State have taken AYUSH medicines while 27,895 consumed Ayurvedic medicines. A total of 17,725 persons under quarantine consmumed Homeopathic medicines.
“Only 15 COVID-19 cases have been reported from quarantine facilities,” Ms. Ravi added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had on Friday assessed as “especially serious” the situation in emerging hotspots of Ahmedabad and Surat.