COVID-19 Outbreak: Confirmed Cases Cross 12,000 Mark With 37 Deaths Reported In Last 24 Hours

India entered the second day of the Lockdown 2.0 with the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases crossing the 12,000 mark with 941 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the Union Health Ministry, 37 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours which rose the overall death toll in the country to 414.

In the meantime, reportedly, 1488 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged.

With 2916 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra remains the worst affected state that is still grappling with providing for the hundreds of migrant labourers it houses.

Delhi (1578) is the second state with the maximum number of cases, followed by Tamil Nadu (1242), Rajasthan (1023), Madhya Pradesh (987), Gujarat (766), Uttar Pradesh (735) and Telangana (647).

The Insitute of Medical Research (ICMR), on Wednesday, April 16, has declared 170 districts in 25 states as COVID-19 hotspots. While 207 districts in 27 states have been marked as non-hotspots.

Addressing a media briefing on the coronavirus situation, the nodal body also emphasized that community transmission of the disease has not been detected yet.

Clarifying the basis of marking the hotspots, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary to the Union Health Ministry, said that the states have been asked to classify districts reporting a higher number of cases as hotspots, districts where some cases have been reported as non-hotspots and the ones which have reported no cases as green zones.

In a separate incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that lockdown is not an end solution to fight the deadly coronavirus. He stated that that the shutdown may "only pause situation" and has suggested that the government should go for "aggressive and strategic" COVID-19 tests.

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