COVID-19: India's doubling rate improves to 7.5 post lockdown; recovery rate at 14.75%

India's doubling rate of COVID-19 — number of days in which cases double — has improved to 7.5 due to lockdown, as against 3.4 before nationwide lockdown, Union Health Ministry said on Monday. rate of recovery of COVID-19 patients in country has also improved to 14.75%, even as rate of increase in fresh positive cases has jumped.

"We calculate doubling rate of cases at regular intervals. When we calculated it based on data of last seven days, we found that India's doubling rate which was 3.4 before lockdown has w improved to 7.5. Ar good news is that 18 States have a better rate than national aver," joint secretary for Health, Lav Aggarwal, told reporters in a press briefing.

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States with doubling rate above India aver

Ministry informed that doubling rate in Delhi is 8.5 days, while it is 9.2 days in Karnataka, 9.4 days in Telangana, 10.6 days in Andhra Pradesh, 11.5 days in Jammu and Kashmir, 13.1 days in Punjab, 13.3 days in Chhattisgarh, 14 days in Tamil Nadu and 16.4 days in Bihar. He furr said that doubling rate is much lower in or States and UTs like Andaman and Nicobar (20.1), Haryana (21 days), Himachal Pradesh (24.5 days), Chandigarh (25.4 days), Assam (25.8 days), Uttarakhand and Ladakh (26.6 days each).

" doubling rate of Odisha and Kerala is over 30 days. I would congratulate and thank COVID warriors on ground in se States," Aggarwal said.

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List of districts with fresh cases

Health Ministry furr informed that or than Puducherry's Mahe and Karnataka's Kodagu districts, Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal too has t reported any fresh vel Coronavirus case during last 28 days. number of districts where case has been reported in last 14 days has increased to 59. six latest additions include — Dungarpur and Pali in Rajasthan, Jamnagar and Morbi in Gujarat, rth Goa in Goa and Gomati in Tripura. 

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Journalists testing COVID positive 'unfortunate'

When asked about reports of 30 journalists in Mumbai testing positive for COVID-19, Lav Aggarwal said that journalists need to take greater precautions while on ir job and ensure social distancing and wear masks. "It is very unfortunate news. When you (journalists) attend your call of duty, kindly take required precautions, follow rms of social distancing & wear face masks," joint secretary said.

80% of cases asymptomatic with mild symptoms

officials also said that 80% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic and with mild symptoms. "Testing criteria are very detailed as of w. Whoever needs to be tested as per sampling criteria will be tested. We are also testing people with severe respiratory illness (SARS) and influenza-like illness (ILI)," Health Ministry said.

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