India reports 37 Covid-19 deaths, 896 cases in 24 hours; biggest jump in a day

HT, 10 April 2020, New Delhi : India on Friday reported 6,761 Covid-19 cases with the death toll climbing to 206 in the country. In the last 24 hours, 37 deaths have been reported and 896 new infections, the largest ever increase in single day cases.

This is not only the largest ever single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 patients, it is also the highest number of deaths reported in 24 hours.

Out of the total 6,761 Covid-19 cases, 6039 are active cases and 516 have been either cured, discharged from hospitals or have migrated, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Earlier in the day, Punjab became the second state in the country after Odisha, to extend the nationwide lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month. The lockdown was scheduled to be lifted on April 14 but will now continue, in Punjab and Odisha at least, till April 30.

Amid apprehensions that India was inching towards community transmission of the coronavirus, that the country had already entered Stage 3 of the infectious disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) clarified an error in its daily report and said that may not be the case yet. The global health watchdog said that India has reported cluster of cases in specific areas and not community transmission.

On Friday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asked the Centre to inform it within two weeks the arrangements that are being made for mentally ill people roaming on the streets during the nationwide lockdown.

In a statement, the NHRC said, it has taken cognisance of a complaint on the alleged violation of human rights of mentally afflicted people and asked the Union Home Ministry to respond within two weeks.