Health Ministry confirms 75 new COVID-19 cases; highlights telemedicine guidelines

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Joint secretary Lav Aggrawal on Friday addressed a press conference and stated that the nation has recorded 75 new positive cases and 4 new deaths due to the deadly Coronavirus in the last 24 hours. 

While addressing the media, the Joint Secretary said,"Till now 724 positive Coronavirus cases have been confirmed, total deaths stand at 17. In the last 24 hours, 75 new positive cases & 4 deaths have been reported."

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Informing about the requirement and purchase of ventilators, Lav said, ''We have given an order to a PSU to provide 10,000 ventilators. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has also been requested to purchase 30,000 additional ventilators in 1-2 months."

''We have issued national telemedicine guidelines. This facilitates the process wherein doctors sitting at their homes can provide services to the patients. We urge & request citizens to take advantage of it and doctors to utilize this," he added. 

During the Health Ministry's press address, Ministry of Home Affair's Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava also informed that all the states and Union Territories have been requested to make arrangements for food, water, and sanitation for the migrant labourers who are stranded due to the lockdown. ''Hotels and rented accommodation should stay open and functional while taking all the precautions," she said. 

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India sees a rise in COVID-19 cases 

According to the latest figure available on Friday, India has so far reported 724 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, 19 people have so far died. Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported 88 new positive Coronavirus cases, which is the highest in a single day.

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