India witnessed a slight dip in new Covid cases yet again as in the last 24 hours 27,254 fresh cases were registered, the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs said on Monday.
The country has been reporting a dip in new Covid cases for the past few days. A total of 28,591 new Covid cases were recorded on Sunday.
At the same time, the country reported 219 Covid related deaths in the last 24 hours, a sharp decline in comparison to Sunday's 338 fatalities.
With the number of deaths reported on Monday included, the country's overall Covid related deaths have risen to 4,42,874. The fatality rate was reported at 1.33 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry's report on Monday.
The number of active cases also reported to have declined by 10,652 and the current active cases are 3,74,269, which is 1.13 per cent of the total Covid infection reported in the country since early 2020.
In the last 24 hours, a total of 37,687 Covid-infected patients recovered, pushing the country's total recovery numbers to 3,24,47,032. As per the data, the Covid recovery rate rose to 97.55 per cent.
The weekly positivity rate was reported at 2.11 per cent, which is less than 3 per cent for the last 80 days, while there has been a slight increase in daily positivity rate, which reported at 2.26 per cent against Sunday's 1.87. However, the daily positivity rate has been below 3 per cent for the last 14 days.
India has so far, a total of 54.30 crore (54,18,05,829) Covid samples tested, out of which 12,08,247 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
India has so far administered over 74.38 crore (74,38,37,643) doses of Covid vaccines, out of which 53,38,945 doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
Kin of govt doctors who succumbed to Covid yet to get compensation
According to information received from the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) around 100 doctors died due to the virus in Tamil Nadu. But the families of these doctors are yet to be receive the solatium announced by the government.
Nizhal Mozhi, wife of frontline worker, Dr Manimaran, 39, who passed away due to Covid, three months ago while working in Trichy Government hospital, said that she is facing a tough future ahead.
The couple have two school-going children and Nizhal Mozhi said that she is not able to meet her expenses as well as the educational expenses of her two small children.
Speaking to IANS, Nizhal Mozhi said: "We had taken housing loans from the banks, and they are calling on a day-to-day basis. If only the government sanctions the one-time solatium it had announced, then I could at least settle our dues and then keep the balance money for the education of our children."
The previous AIADMK government had announced a one-time compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the families of the frontline doctors. But only two families received the amount and that too, Rs 25 lakh for each family.
The DMK government after assuming office had announced a solatium of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased front line doctors but they are yet to provide the compensation.
The IMA has demanded that the solatium amount be raised back to Rs 50 lakh.
State Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS: "The government have already directed the health department to speed up the process and almost all the files as per my information is in the final stage and will immediately disburse the amount. The department is following up on the matter."
Families of late doctors Kalyanaraman and Sugumar have received the solatium amount and the IMA and the Legal coordination committee of government doctors have pressed for the money to be transferred immediately to the families.
Sudden spike in children in North Bengal
The West Bengal Health Department has informed that there has been a sudden upsurge in the admission in paediatric wards in Jalpaiguri district. Hospitals in the North Bengal area in the last five days have admitted children between the age of 1 and 4 years with complaints of fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
According to hospital sources most of the children came from the neighbouring Jalpaiguri Sadar, Mainaguri, Dhupguri and Mekhliganj, Haldibari in Kochbihar
According to officials, on an average 50-60 patients are admitted in the paediatric ward of the Jalpaiguri district hospital, but there has been an increase. In the last 4-5 days 120-140 patients have been admitted in ward, mostly below four.
The RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) test has been done on almost 80 to 90 per cent of the patients that have come out negative. Only one baby was found Covid positive and was admitted in Sncu (Special New-born Care Unit) in isolation.
"Many of the children have recovered. On Sunday itself 48 children were released. Presently 149 children are undergoing treatment," a senior official of the hospital said.
"Children get fever during change of seasons. For some reason this time maybe a little more attention is being paid. Fever, cold, cough. Someone also has diarrhoea. We are careful. I have also informed the higher authorities about the matter," Acting Superintendent of Jalpaiguri district hospital Rahul Bhowmik said.
"Malaria and Dengue screening done and only one baby turned out Covid positive. "To accommodate the additional patients 45 new beds have been added in the paediatric department and a new ward was opened last Friday.
"One positive sign is that the cases are also not very complicated and the discharge rate is also high. The paediatricians are investigating any clustering or outbreak of different types of cases, but so far this seems to be the case of seasonal influenza-like illness," Director of Health Education Ajay Chakraborty said.
(With inputs from IANS)
