COVID-19: 31.6 Lakh People In Quarantine Across India, Uttar Pradesh Has The Highest Number

New Delhi: A whopping 31.6 lakh people are currently in quarantine across the country as authorities made concerted efforts to check the spread of the novel coronavirus which has infected over 10 lakh people so far, officials said on Friday. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of people in quarantine among states, followed by Maharashtra, they said. According to the latest available official estimate, more than 11 lakh people are in quarantine in Uttar Pradesh, 7.27 lakh in Maharashtra, 3.25 lakh in Gujarat and 2.4 lakh in Odisha.

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A total of 31.6 lakh people are currently in institutional and home quarantine across India, a Union Home Ministry official told PTI. Suspected COVID-19 patients, asymptomatic and mild positive cases, and high-risk contacts of infected people are being kept in quarantine to curb the virus spread, officials said.

Some states such as Uttar Pradesh and Assam don’t allow home quarantine. In Delhi, mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are allowed home quarantine and they are being constantly monitored by experts through telephone or video calls.

As many as 49,907 people are in quarantine in Haryana, 46,969 in Tamil Nadu, 41,0621 in Chhattisgarh and 25,307 in Punjab. According to the estimate, 24,497 people are quarantined in Jharkhand, 17,858 in Karnataka, 14,596 in Delhi and 8,799 in Assam.

The Home Ministry officials said states and union territories which are showing positive trends in terms of controlling the spread of the novel virus are Delhi, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The states where worrying trends continue are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka, another official said.

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The total coronavirus cases in the country surged to 10,03,832, while death toll mounted to 25,602 as on Friday. Maharashtra has reported the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases at 2,84,281 followed by Tamil Nadu at 1,56,369, Delhi at 1,18,645, Karnataka at 51,422, Gujarat at 45,481, Uttar Pradesh at 43,441 and Telangana at 41,018.

The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 38,044 in Andhra Pradesh, 36,117 in West Bengal, 27,174 in Rajasthan, 24,002 in Haryana, 21,764 in Bihar and 20,378 in Madhya Pradesh. Assam has recorded 19,754 infections, Odisha 15,392 and Jammu and Kashmir 12,156 cases. Kerala has reported 10,275 coronavirus infections so far, while Punjab has 9,094 cases.

Of the total 25,602 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 11,194 fatalities followed by Delhi with 3,545 deaths, Tamil Nadu 2,236, Gujarat 2,089, Uttar Pradesh 1,046, Karnataka 1,032, West Bengal 1,023, Madhya Pradesh 689 and Rajasthan 538. So far 492 people have died of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh, 396 in Telangana, 322 in Haryana, 230 in Punjab, 222 in Jammu and Kashmir, 197 in Bihar, 79 in Odisha, 50 in Uttarakhand, 48 in Assam, 42 in Jharkhand and 37 in Kerala. India has seen a steady decline in active caseload and officials have attributed the positive development to targeted and proactive measures.

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NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.