The data released by the Union Health Ministry states that over 1400 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported April 22 taking the total number of confirmed cases to 21,393.

Of these, 16,454 are active cases and 4,257 patients have been cured or discharged.

Meanwhile, the death toll due to the deadly virus has reached 681.

The official data has also suggested that the pace of transmission has quickened with a substantial increase in the cases. The total number of coronavirus cases crossed the 20,000-mark on Wednesday, April 22, seven days after the cases had surpassed the 10,000-mark.

The cases had crossed the 15,000 mark on April 19.

Further, it had taken six days for the cases to cross the 10,000-mark from 5,000.

Maharashtra remains the most affected state with over 5,600 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

It is followed by Gujarat at 2,407 which has reported a major spike in positive cases in the last few days.

Addressing the media on the pandemic situation in the country, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary to the Union Health Ministry has said that 12 districts have not reported any fresh cases for the past 28 days and 78 districts did not report any new case in the last 14 days.

He also informed that 4,257 COVID-19 patients have been cured so far with a reported recovery rate of 19.89 per cent as of now.

‘We have been able to cut virus transmission, minimise the spread of COVID-19 in 30 days of lockdown,’ Agarwal said.

In another major development, President Ram Nath Kovind approved to promulgate The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which provides stringent punishments for attacks against the front line health workers and medical staff.

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