COVID-19 spread reported in new areas but 50 districts still account for 66% caseload, says health ministry

The coronavirus infection has spread to new areas in the country, but 82 percent of the total cases are still limited to 10 states and Union Territories, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Addressing a press briefing, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 50 districts account for 66 percent of the total caseload and the COVID-19 case fatality rate has progressively declined to 2.10 percent, the lowest since the first lockdown was imposed on 25 March. “Coronavirus infection has spread to newer areas but 82 percent of the total cases are still limited to 10 states and UTs in the country, whereas 50 districts today account for 66 per cent of the COVID-19 caseload in the country,” he said. Giving a break-up of the mortality rate according to gender, the official said about 68 per cent of COVID-19 deaths were reported among male patients and 32 percent among female patients in India. In terms of age, he said 50 percent of such deaths took place in the age group of 60 years and above. “About 37 percent of COVID-19 deaths in India took place in the age group of 45 to 60 years, while 11 percent of deaths were recorded in the age group of 26 to 44 years,” he told reporters. India’s COVID-19 fatality rate has progressively declined to 2.10 percent, the lowest since the first lockdown, Bhushan said. He noted that the total number of recovered cases at 12.30 lakh is two times the number of active COVID-19 cases. “A total of 28 states and UTs are conducting more than 140 COVID-19 tests per day per million population. India is conducting 479 tests per day per million population for the detection of the disease,” Bhushan said. He said 28 states and UTs have a COVID-19 positivity rate of less than 10 per cent, while India’s positivity rate as on date is 8.89 per cent. ICMR Director General Professor Balram Bhargava said rapid antigen tests account for 25 to 30 percent of the total tests conducted so far for the detection of COVID-19.