India's recovered COVID-19 cases more than active cases per million: Government

New Delhi: India's recovered cases per million population are more than active COVID-19 cases per million, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, crediting states and Union Territories for early identification and effective management of coronavirus cases.

India has 315.8 recovered cases per million, while the active cases per million in the country is at a "low level" of 186.3, the ministry said in a statement.

"This shows that while the total number of positive cases might be high, the recoveries are fast catching up, thereby keeping the active cases low. "This has also ensured that COVID healthcare facilities are not under pressure and are not stretched," it said.

Delhi accounts for the highest 3497.1 recovered cases per million as against 1242.9 active cases per million, followed by Maharashtra having 869.5 recovered cases per million as against 661.6 active cases per million, Tamil Nadu has 753.0 recovered cases per million as against 529.8 active cases per million, while the respective numbers for Haryana are 480.9 and 140.4, according to the statement.

Gujarat has 358.3 recovered patients per million as against 115.7 active cases per million, while for Rajasthan the respective numbers are 217.1 and 52.7, it said.

Madhya Pradesh has 144.6 recovered cases per million as against 38.6 active cases per million, while Odisha's respective numbers are 141.1 and 65.3, and Uttar Pradesh has 85.1 and 38.8.

The country's COVID-19 tally went past seven lakh on Tuesday, with a single-day spike of 22,252 infections, five days after crossing six-lakh, while the death toll climbed to 20,160 with 467 persons succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours, the health ministry data updated at 8 am showed.

According to the official statement, following directions of the Union health Ministry, states increased testing with the deployment of RT-PCR tests, and rapid antigen kits which have helped early identification of cases.

The ramped-up healthcare infrastructure in states has resulted in distribution of the positive cases in different healthcare facilities including Dedicated COVID Hospitals, COVID Health Care Centres and COVID Care Centres, it said.

This coupled with effective treatment has ensured in keeping the case mortality low, the ministry said, adding that a ramping-up of Dedicated COVID in public and private sectors has ensured timely triaging and treatment of the patients.

Along with testing, contact-tracing and house-to-house surveys has been intensified especially in the containment zones, it underlined.

States have been specifically advised to ensure that at least 80 pc of new positive cases have their contacts traced and quarantined within 72 hours of confirmation of the positivity, the ministry said.

States have developed several mobile apps to keep track of high risk population including the senior and elderly population, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and small children, it said.

The involvement of the community, ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nursing Midwife) and the local government has led to effective surveillance in the community, it said.