Over 10,000 COVID-19 patients recover in India; total positive cases climb to 37,776

As the country continues to combat COVID-19 pandemic, over 10,000 people have recovered from the disease so far. However, with 2,411 new cases in the last 24 hours, India's count of COVID-19 has reached 37,776.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India's count of COVID-19 cases reached 37,776 on Saturday of which 26,535 are active cases. 10,018 patients have recovered/migrated and 1,223 deaths have been reported so far.

The Ministry said that 2,411 new cases of coronavirus and 71 deaths were reported from different States/Union Territories in the last 24 hours.

Maharashtra has the most number of COVID-19 cases with 11,506 patients of which, 1,879 have been cured or discharged while 485 people have succumbed to the virus.

Gujarat has the second-highest number of the coronavirus positive cases in the country -- 4,721 -- including 735 patients cured or discharged and 236 deaths.

Delhi's count stands at 3,738 of which, 1,167 patients have recovered while 61 patients have succumbed to the virus.

Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2,719 positive cases including 524 patients, who have recovered and discharged. The State has recorded 145 fatalities due to the virus so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday deliberated on reforms required in the agriculture sector and stressed the need for making strategic interventions in the existing marketing eco-system.

"Special emphasis was given on reforms in agriculture marketing, management of marketable surplus, access of farmers to institutional credit and freeing agriculture sector of various restrictions with appropriate backing of the statute," said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement.

Concessional credit flow to strengthen agriculture infrastructure, special Kisan Credit Card saturation drive for PM-Kisan beneficiaries, and facilitating inter and intra-state trade of agriculture produce to ensure the fairest return to farmer were some of the important areas covered during the meeting.

"The discussion also emanated on the possibilities of the uniform statutory framework in the country to facilitate new ways for farming, which will infuse capital and technology in the agrarian economy. The pros and cons of biotechnological developments in crops or enhancement of productivity and reduction in input costs were also deliberated," added the statement.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to run as many as 28 trains to bring back migrants belonging to the State from different parts of the country.

In a letter, Chief Minister Baghel welcomed the Centre's move to run special trains to bring back migrants. He also requested the government to run trains free of cost for migrant workers on a humtarian ground.

In the letter, Baghel wrote: "The fight against COVID-19 has intensified in the country. Chhattisgarh is also combating COVID-19 with bravery. We have been able to contain this pandemic in the State to quite an extent."

"With the help of helpline and other information, it is known that about 1.17 lakh migrant workers are stranded in 21 States and four Union Territories of the country. If students and others are included, then this count of stranded people will increase."

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and asked her to give up 'COVID-19 data cover-up operation'.

He said that the COVID-19 cases shown in the State health bulletin and national health bulletin vary and these are not reconcilable even if the recovered and dead were considered.

"Give up 'Covid-19 data cover-up operation' Mamata Banerjee and share it transparently. Health bulletin 30/4 No of Active Covid cases 572. No health bulletin on May 1 !!" the Governor said in a tweet.

"Gap between 572 and 931 not reconcilable even if recovered/dead r considered Coordination lack awful when people r suffering untold miseries For way forward withdraw 'political parties r vultures in wait of dead bodies' and take all on board," he added.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday held a video conferencing with his Karnataka counterpart BS Yediyurappa and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss the return of stranded people from Odisha. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also joined the discussion from New Delhi.

During the video conferencing, Chief Minister Patnaik thanked both the Chief Ministers for taking care of the stranded people from Odisha in their respective states.

He requested them to facilitate the return of the stranded people who want to come back to Odisha and those who wish to stay and work there should be helped. He asked the Chief Secretaries of two States to make a road map for the return of the people with the Chief Secretary of Odisha.

The Indian Navy had 38 COVID-19 positive cases in Mumbai of which 12 have recovered and have been discharged from the hospital, a top Navy official said here on Saturday, giving details of the pandemic outbreak at INS Angre late last month.

"At INS Angre in Mumbai, we had a total of 38 COVID-19 positive cases. Of these, 12 have already been discharged from the hospital while 26 are undergoing treatment. There has been no positive case on any of our warships and submarines," Indian Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar told .

He said after the cases came to the notice of the Naval authorities concerned in Mumbai, all-out efforts were made to quarantine the people, who could have come into contact with the affected soldier.

"We also tested each of them including those who were asymptomatic and tests were not required to be sure. Some of the admitted people have symptoms while some are still asymptomatic. I would like to say that we could control the spread by strict quarantining measures," the Navy Vice Chief said.

Kumar said that the Navy was quite concerned about the spread of the pandemic on its operational platforms as has been seen in the case of many other Navies around the world.

Here are COVID related updates:

1. A special train carrying migrant workers has left from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad for Agra in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

A special train from Ernakulam in Kerala to Odisha's Bhubaneswar carrying migrant labourers reached Renigunta railway station in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning.

2. A large number of people gathered at Majestic Bus Terminal in Bengaluru on Saturday morning to travel back to their respective home States amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

A majority of them were the migrant labourers, rendered jobless after the imposition of lockdown in March to check the spread of coronavirus.

"We were working as labourers in the city. From the past many weeks, we were unable to earn anything because of the lockdown. We are surviving without food. At this point of time, they are charging us double and triple for the tickets. This is literally harassment," said a commuter.

"Earlier, we used to pay Rs 500-600 from Bengaluru to Raichur. Now, the KSRTC is charging us Rs 1,400. The hike in fare is creating more problems to migrant workers," said a local while speaking to .3.

3. Uttarakhand government on Saturday decided to give an extra 12.5 kg foodgrain per family under the PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana for next three months to 13.17 lakh families in order to ensure the availability food to the poor during the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier each family was getting 7.5 kg foodgrains per month in the state.

4. Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday said that 40 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses reached Rajasthan at around 10 am to bring back stranded students. He also said that social distancing will be kept in mind and not more than 20 students will be allowed in a bus.

"40 buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation reached Kota, Rajasthan, at around 10 am today to bring back around 800 students to Delhi. Not more than 20 students will be allowed in one bus," Gahlot told .

5. The farmers in Moga, Punjab, have not been able to sell their wheat harvest due to lack of gunny bags, which is required for packaging and transporting the grain.

"Jute industries were closed due to COVID-19 lockdown. This caused the problem to farmers in Moga, who were not able to sell their wheat," said Sandeep Hans, Deputy Commissioner, on Saturday.

6. The Indian Navy has readied 14 of its warships for carrying out an extensive evacuation operation of Indian citizens who want to return to the country from the Gulf countries for which it has prepared a detailed procedure to prevent any spread of COVID-19 among its personnel during the operation.

"We have kept around 14 ships ready. Four in the Western Naval Command, four in Eastern Naval Command, three in South and couple of them in the Andaman and Nicobar Command. So, we have got a number of ships ready to (carry out the evacuation of Indian citizens from Gulf countries)," Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar told in an interview.

7. As medical staff and police personnel are leaving no stones unturned in the fight against COVID-19, an Indore-based artist on Saturday paid tribute to them by making stone art.

Wajid Khan collected stones in two weeks and came up with this unique art to pay tribute to Inspector Devendra Chandravanshi, who laid down his life while fighting COVID-19.

He made a logo representing medical services and the face of the inspector with stones saying -- 'Thank You, COVID-19 Warriors'.

8. Thirty-seven people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab after returning from Huzur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra.

District Collector Apneet Riyait said: "37 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 so far in Punjab's Hoshiarpur after returning from Huzur Sahib in Nanded of Maharashtra."

9. Fifty-four new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Rajasthan, taking the total number of positive cases in the states to 2,720, informed state Health Department on Saturday.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,534 while the deaths now stand at 65, added the Health Department. 1,121 people have recovered and 714 have been discharged.

10. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that India is fighting COVID-19 with 'commonality of vision, intent and determination' and lockdown 3.0 is a preliminary test that the nation shall pass as there is no option to fail.

Taking to Facebook, the Vice President said: "We have so far successfully adopted our version of COVID as a tool...Commonality of Vision, Intent and Determination to fight COVID disease and need to persist with it."

"Lockdown 3.0 is a preliminary test that our nation shall pass as we don't have the option to fail. The way all stakeholders conduct themselves during these 2 weeks will decide further course of action against coronavirus," added Naidu.

( With inputs from ANI )