COVID lockdown averted 29 lakh cases, 78K fatalities: Harsh Vardhan tells Lok Sabha

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday asserted that four months of COVID-19 lockdown has averted approximately 14-29 lakh cases and 37,000 to 78,000 fatalities due to Covid-19. He said that lockdown period was utilised to create additional health infrastructure, enhance human resource and produce critical elements like PPEs, N-95 masks, and ventilators within India. He also reiterated that lockdown was a ‘bold decision’ by government.

While addressing day one of Parliament’s monsoon session on Covid-19 manment, health minister said that India has been able to limit its cases and deaths per million with 3,328 cases per million and 55 deaths per million population respectively, which is one of lowest in world as compared to countries that are similarly affected. He also highlighted that re was an increase in dedicated isolation and ICU beds since March this year.

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health minister furr ackwledged that many of epidemiological parameters of disease are still being researched. parameters include mode of transmission, period of virus shedding, subclinical infection, role of immunity, and many ors. Adding furr he said once a person is exposed to infection, disease may develop anytime between 1-14 days.

COVID-19 prevention measures taken by govt

health minister furr told house that constant monitoring of disease trend, analysis of available infrastructure and planning in advance for future has averted a major crisis as was faced by many developed countries. A total of 12,826 quarantine centres with 598,811 beds have been created he added.

Furrmore, in order to contain spread of virus government has taken several proactive measures including creation of a group of ministers (GoM) on February 3. GoM was created under chairmanship of Union health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan. It consists of Minister of External Affairs, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Minister of Civil Aviation, and Minister of State for Shipping among or senior government functionaries. group has met 20 times since its inception.

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A total of 15,284 COVID treatment facilities with 1,314,646 dedicated isolation beds without oxygen support have been created until September 12, 2020. Additionally, a total of 231,093 oxygen supported isolation beds and 62,717 ICU beds (including 32,575 ventilator beds) have been created.

On March 29, 11 empowered groups were created to man Covid-19 epidemic in country, and on September 10, groups have been restructured based on need and evolving scenario, he said.

highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths have been reported in states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Assam, Kerala and Gujarat as se states have reported at least 100,000 cases.

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