Covid toll reaches 1,313 as 33 more succumb in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat crossed 1,300 deaths on Tuesday with 33 deaths in 24 hours, taking the toll to 1,313. Last four days have witnessed 123 deaths in Gujarat, registering a death rate of 6.4%.
The deaths include 27 from Ahmedabad, two from Surat and one each from Mehsana, Aravalli, Amreli and Panchmahal.
Gujarat in 24 hours ending 5 pm on Tuesday recorded 470 Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 21,044.The state added the last 1,925 cases in four days alone as it crossed 21,000-cases mark. The new cases included 331from Ahmedabad, 62 from Surat and 32 from Vadodara.
Even as the state recorded more deaths and cases, the Gujarat high court on Tuesday issued notice to the state government in response to a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association challenging the policy of requirement of prior approval by government authority for Covid-19 testing for asymptomatic frontline health workers.
A bench of Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice N V Anjaria issued notice to the state government and the ICMR and sought their responses by June 19 to the association’s petition to scrap the June 2 government policy which mandates prior approval for testing asymptomatic frontline healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, pharmacist and other supportive staff of medical colleges, hospitals, clinics and working in containment or micro-containment zones.
The association’s advocate Mitul Shelat submitted that not testing a doctor or frontline health workers without government approval could prove detrimental to the health of the doctor as well as the patient. A total of 409 patients got discharged in 24 hours, taking the total to 14,373 — 248 from Ahmedabad, 64 from Vadodara and 48 from Surat.
Gujarat has carried out least tests per million
With the update on Tuesday, 25.5% (5358) out of total Covid-19 positive cases are active, 68.3% (14,373) patients are discharged and 6.2% (1313) patients are dead.
Number of daily tests for Covid-19 rose to 5,298 in 24 hours, taking the total to 2.61 lakh. The tests showed a 15% increase from 4,603 tests on Monday. Daily average of Covid-19 tests for June in Gujarat is 5,517.
Aggregators for the Covid-19 data reveal that among the four major states – Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat – that have recorded 20,000-plus positive cases, Gujarat has carried out least per million tests whereas in absolute numbers, the state has surpassed Delhi’s 2.55 lakh tests.
A total of 2.09 lakh persons are under quarantine in Gujarat out of which 2.03 lakh are under home quarantine.