46 new cases in Gujarat take total to 308, 19 deaths

With the continued and intensified surveillance and testing of coronavirus infection inside the hotspots of Gujarat, the health authorities said on Friday that 46 new confirmed positive cases have been detected in the last 12 hours in the state. 

At least 46 new positive cases and 2 more deaths were reported on Friday morning, as the spread of local infection continues to grow in the state. In the last 12 hours, Vadodara saw 17 new positive cases, followed by 11 cases in Ahmedabad, 5 in Rajkot, four in Bharuch and Bhavnagar, two cases each in Kutch and Patan and Gandhinagar registered one case.

Two more positive patients of the virus succumbed on Friday, as a male (40) with comorbid conditions like kidney problems, admitted in the Civil hospital and another male (81) with comorbidity like hypertension and diabetes, admitted in the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) hospital, Gandhinagar, died. Four positive patients were discharged after treatment.

Ahmedabad has the maximum number of positive cases (153), followed by Vadodara (39), Surat (24), Bhavnagar (22), Rajkot (18), Gandhinagar and Patan (14 each), Kutch and Bharuch (4 each), Porbandar (3), Mehsana, Gir-Somnath, Chhota Udepur and Anand (two each) and Panchmahal, Jamnagar, Morbi, Sabarkantha and Dahod (one each).

"More positive cases of Corona being detected is a good sign and is not a cause of worry. This was expected. We have also found that a doctor in Ahmedabad serving in the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Program of the government has been found positive of the virus. Another doctor from the Sola Civil hospital has also been found positive. But it needs to be found out whether they contracted the virus while on duty or through their social contacts," said Jayanti Ravi, the Gujarat health secretary.

Despite the secretary's claims, it is a matter of concern that some new positive cases have also sprung up in areas which are out of hotspots. In Ahmedabad, apart from the hotspots, positive cases were found in Manekchowk, Juhapura, New Vadaj and Dudheshwar areas. Similarly new cases have been found outside the hotspots in Vadodara as well.

"Out of the total 259 active cases, the condition of 257 is stable, whereas the condition of 2 is critical and they are on ventilator," added Ravi.

"In the last 24 hours, we have taken 978 samples for the testing, where 67 have been found positive, 635 negative and 276 are pending," added Ravi.

"The total number of quarantined in the state is 12,352, where 11,015 are home quarantined, 1170 in government facilities and 167 in private facilities," added Ravi.