The active coronavirus cases in India on Monday rose to 480 as the government announced stricter measures to curb the rapidly spreading COVID-19. At least 80 districts across the country were put under lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus, which has killed over 14,000 people and infected more than three lakh globally. The coronavirus has spread stealthily in India as the number of positive cases rose from three at the start of the month to over 400 in just three weeks.
Maharashtra and Kerala are the worst-hit states with 74 and 67 cases, respectively. On Monday, the government announced a ban on domestic flights from Wednesday, March 25. All the airlines have been asked to land before 11:59 pm on Tuesday. India has already banned international flights and sealed its land borders.
Maharashtra tops in active cases of coronavirus infection
With 74 active cases, Maharashtra has the highest number of coronavirus infections, followed by Kerala, 67, Karnataka 33, Telangana 32 and Uttar Pradesh 31. The number of coronavirus positive cases in national capital Delhi, where a lockdown is in place, has risen to 29. The infection is also spreading rapidly in other states like Gujarat (29 active cases), Rajasthan (28 active cases), Haryana (26 active cases) and Punjab (21 active cases).
Besides, Ladakh (13 active cases), Tamil Nadu (9 active cases), Andhra Pradesh (7 active cases), West Bengal (7 active cases), Madhya Pradesh (6 active cases), Chandigarh (6 active cases), Jammu and Kashmir (4 active cases), Uttarakhand (3 active cases), Bihar (2 active cases), Himachal Pradesh (2 active cases), Odisha (2 active cases), Puducherry and Chhattisgarh with one active case each, were the other states where the coronavirus infection has spread.
Seven killed, 24 coronavirus patients recovered so far
So far, the coronavirus infection has killed seven people in India and at least 24 COVID-19 patients from different states have recovered and discharged from hospitals. The patients were reportedly treated by using a combination of anti-HIV drugs. A combination of medicines namely Lopinavir, Ritonavir, Oseltamivir, along with Chloroquine, have been used to treat a coronavirus case in Jaipur's SMS hospital.
The combination of anti-HIV drugs is also being used by China, where the virus originated, to treat the coronavirus infections. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine, a Malaria medicine, for the treatment of COVID-19 infection in high-risk cases.
