Coronavirus: Rajasthan reports 3 new cases; CM apprises about rapid testing in the state

On Tuesday, Rajashtan reported three more  cases of Coronavirus, taking the total number of cases in the state to 328. The virus has so far claimed six lives in the state. However, officials maintain that deaths occurred due to co-morbidity -- more than one illness or disease occurring in one person at the same time.

However, taking cognisance over the outbreak, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot apprised about the rapid testing in the state and said, 

"Rajasthan will start rapid testing in the state within a week; ordered 10 lakh testing kits from China," said Gehlot.

The entire state is under lockdown from March 22 and a massive survey and screening is underway to trace the contagion.

READ: COVID-19 death toll rises to 114, number of cases climbs to 4,421: Health Ministry

Bhilwara SP speaks to Republic TV

Meanwhile, Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district was among the handful of districts in the country where the coronavirus pandemic threatened to spiral out of control, with two dozen positive cases recorded in the first few days. In an exclusive interview to Republic TV,  SP of  Bhilwara Harinder Kumar stated that number of positive cases are maximum in the area and the curfew was imposed with other measures being taken. He added that nearby districts were also sealed and movement across borders stopped. 

"We have imposed curfew in city limits where ppositive cases were reported. We have extended the curfew till 13 April. We are taking extreme care as far as Bhilwara is concerned," said the SP.

READ: Rahul Gandhi issues first statement as India approves Hydroxychloroquine export amid Covid

Rajasthan CM writes to PM Modi

The Rajasthan government is seeking urgent steps to empower the state governments. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an economic package including Rs 1 lakh crore for the state governments. CM Gehlot in his letter mentioned the rapidly deteriorating financial condition due to the decline in revenues.

In the letter, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan has mentioned that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently increased the limit of Wage and Means Advance (WMA) by 30 per cent, but not as interest-free. According to him, the RBI should be providing an interest-free WMA facility to the state governments to effectively deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The Chief Minister has further requested PM Modi to increase the COVID-19 testing facilities in order to get an accurate picture of the spread of the virus in the country. He has also requested to make arrangements for importing testing kits and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for doctors and the medical staff, as well as to fix the price of ventilators.

READ: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 2 new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai's Dharavi; cases in India at 4420

Meanwhile, according to the latest update of the Health Ministry, there are 4,281 cases in the country including 3,851 active cases. While 111 deaths have been reported overall, around 319 people have been cured/discharged/migrated. Currently, the highest number of cases have been reported from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

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