Vijay Rupani announces Rs 25 lakh for Gujarat cops in case of death on duty amid lockdown

While the nation is under lockdown and the police personnel across the country are putting their might to ensure the curfew guidelines are followed, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced that the state government will grant an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the family of any police official who dies while on duty amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier on Saturday, a 46-year-old COVID-19 positive patient succumbed to death in Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital, taking the toll of deaths in the state to four, with two deaths in Ahmedabad, and one each in Bhavnagar and Surat. 

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"The patient was admitted to the hospital on March 26. She was suffering from hypertension, diabetes and was on a ventilator," a statement from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital read. 

Meanwhile, six more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Gujarat, said Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Department of the state. The total number of coronavirus positive cases now stands at 53 in the state. 

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Coronavirus in India

India has witnessed a swell in coronavirus cases as the number of infected individuals surged to 909 with 19 deaths as on Saturday, March 28, while 79 cases have recovered and been discharged according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases with 180 people testing positive. 

Due to Indian government's timely intervention and introduction of preventive measures such as the nationwide lockdown, India's casualty figures and infected cases are much less as compared to other countries, despite being the second-most populous country in the world and more prone to the spread of the pandemic; though the next three weeks are considered to be critical for India. While the developed countries' death toll runs in thousands, India has reported a meager 19 deaths as on date.

(With ANI inputs)

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