After COVID-19 infection in Rashtrapati Bhavan, 125 families quarantined

125 families staying near the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi
have been asked to go into self-isolation, and 100 people working inside have
been quarantined after the relative of a employee tested positive for COVID-19,
reports emerged.

The relative of the sanitation worker, who is a resident of
the estate that houses Rashtrapati Bhavan, has been admitted to a hospital for
treatment. The move comes after the sanitation worker’s mother died of COVID-19
infection a few days back at the B.L. Kapoor hospital. “The mother used to
live outside the President’s Estate. After she was tested positive, all her
relatives were quarantined and their test was done. The test report came
negative,” an official said.

As per the latest data, 47 deaths and 1,336 new cases have
been reported in India in the last 24 hours. India’s total number of COVID-19
positive cases now stand at 18,601.

Raising hopes in the battle against COVID-19, the government
on Monday said infections are now doubling nationwide at a slower pace of 7.5
days and 59 districts have not reported a single case in a fortnight, while
several states sought to contain the ballooning economic cost of the pandemic
by easing some lockdown curbs.

However, some states preferred to maintain strict
restrictions for fear of losing control, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka joining
Delhi in deciding against any relaxation till May 3. Telangana went a step further
by extending the lockdown till May 7.

Punjab, which had earlier ruled out any relaxation till May
3, said some industrial activity may resume in areas other than those
identified as high-risk ‘containment zones’.

The first set of relaxations from the nationwide lockdown,
which came into effect on March 25, kicked in at select places across Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Goa among other states, even as
several states reported a rising number of cases to take the nationwide tally
past 18,000.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and health ministry
officials said 80 per cent patients were either asymptomatic or had only mild
symptoms but were found to be positive after testing.

They also said around 15 per cent patients turn into severe
cases, while 5 per cent turn critical. But despite the relaxations announced by
state authorities, which are mostly limited to non-urban areas, industry
executives said most companies have decided to wait for a complete exit from
the lockdown as continuing restrictions on goods and people’s movement make it
difficult to resume stalled economic activities, which are estimated to have
suffered a loss of Rs 7-8 lakh crores already.