New Delhi, May 22: The number of COVID-19 cases averted due to the lockdown is in the range of 14-29 lakh, while the number of lives saved is between 37,000 and 78,000, the government said on Friday citing various studies, and asserted that the unprecedented shutdown has paid “rich dividends” in the fight against the pandemic.
The lockdown in India has been a timely, graded, proactive and pre-emptive public health measure to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and has been part and parcel of the government’s overall strategy, Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Chairman, Empowered Group 1, said at a media briefing on the COVID-19 situation.
The government imposed the nationwide lockdown from March 25 to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and it is currently in its fourth phase.
Like the number of cases, the growth rate of number of COVID-19 deaths too has fallen significantly due to the lockdown, marking a notable difference between pre-lockdown and post-lockdown situations, he said.
At the briefing, Pravin Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation gave model-based estimates on COVID-19 cases and deaths which have been prevented due to the lockdown.
As per Boston Consulting Group's model, the lockdown saved between 1.2 lakh and 2.1 lakh lives, while the number of COVID-19 cases averted is between 36 lakh and 70 lakh, he said.
According to Public Health Foundation of India, nearly 78,000 lives have been saved due to the lockdown, Srivastava said.
Citing a model by two independent economists, he said that around 23 lakh COVID-19 cases and 68,000 deaths have been averted due to the lockdown.
Some independent experts, including retired scientists, have calculated that around 15.9 lakh cases and 51,000 deaths have been averted due to the lockdown, Srivastava said.
A joint study by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the Indian Statistical Institute found that around 20 lakh COVID-19 cases and 54,000 deaths were averted due to lockdown, he said.
The number of COVID-19 cases averted due to the lockdown is in the range of 14-29 lakh, while the number of lives saved is between 37,000 and 78,000, the official said.
“We are fully confident that the lockdown, with full public cooperation, has reaped rich dividends,” Srivastava said.
The strong defence of the lockdown, comes a day after the health ministry said the period of lockdown has been gainfully utilized to ramp up the health infrastructure, with around 3,027 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals and 7,013 care centres being readied across the country to fight the disease.
The announcement on Thursday came after some media reports questioned the country's preparedness to deal with the highly infectious disease.
"There are reports in a section of the media about some decisions of the government regarding the lockdown implementation and response to COVID-19 management. The period of the lockdown has been gainfully utilised to ramp up the health infrastructure in the country," the ministry had said.
Addressing the press briefing on Friday, joint secretary in the health ministry Lav Agarwal said 48,534 COVID-19 patients, which is about 41 per cent of the total cases, have recovered so far. As many as 3,234 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, he said’
The COVID-19 mortality rate has dropped from 3.13 per cent on May 19 to 3.02 per cent as focus was on containment measures andclinical management of cases, Agarwal said.
An ICMR official said 27,55,714 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted till 1 pm Friday with 1,03,829 tests done in one day. Over 1 lakh tests for COVID-19 have been done each day for the last four days, the official said.
The growth rate of novel coronavirus cases witnessed a steep decline from Apr 4 when lockdown put a brake on the speed of increase of cases, V K Paul said.
The number of COVID-19 cases would have risen exponentially had the lockdown not been implemented, he said, adding that the doubling rate of cases was 3.4 days when the lockdown started and it is 13.3 days at present.
The COVID-19 outbreak in India has remained confined to limited areas with 80 per cent of active cases in just five states, Paul said
He said around 80 pc of COVID-19 deaths have been in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi.
Comments
Muslims worship allah and don't want to say vandemataram.
Christians worship Jesus only still they do not have problem in singing vandemataram.
Bhudhist worship bhudha only still they do not have problem in singing vandemataram.
Jains worship mahavir only still they do not have problem in singing vandemataram.
why it is only problem for muslim to sing vandemataram.-
Please everyone try to know, that Islam has codes to follow. Islam strongly and strictly has to follow the God’s rule. No human interference is allowed to complement to God’s rules. Islam has 2books. Quran and Hadees the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (peace upon him PBU)
Muslims are not allowed to introduce new things which are contradictory to Islam.
Because Islam is flexible enough to allow allowable things. These things will suffice the needs. No need to invent the wheels. Islam is purely based on 1God and Message came thru prophet Muhammad PBU.
This is called 1ness of God. Nothing should be worshipped other than 1 the true God. We worship only the God and we seek all our requirements with this 1God. This is the important message. Anyone contradicting and violating it by worshiping others or praying others for our requirements is a unforgivable offense which leads to hell fire. it is command to us to be careful of this error.
30% of the teaching of Islam is repeatedly discouraging to worship or attribute others with the God. What a serious teaching we have to be careful of. This is repeated in Quran and hadees. Nothing is allowed even in a minute level to equate into the Quality of the God. This is oneness of God. Things against is called as doing shirk(associating to the God). May the God save us from this error.
1.VANDE MATARAM : We can not sing this song because its meaning contradicts the above oneness of the God.
2. Celebrating other festival
Muslims are allowed to observe 2eids (Eid ul Fitr. This is after end of Ramadan fasting, 2nd is Eid us Adha)
Even we don’t celebrate the birth day of anyone including our prophet.
Patriotism
We are not against national interest. We have to fight for the right of our nation as long as we are not offending others. If required we are commanded to fight and sacrifice our lives. What a great teaching. Is it in taught in any other books.
So we don’t celebrate even National independence day. No need for celebration but we are ready to sacrifice to defend the nation.
Mr bogi , from last year rss nagpur headquartes started hoisting indian flag , from 1947 our madrasas hoisting clelebrating indipendence day , you sangis were with british when indians were fighting for freedom , now its time for indians to fight against sangh parivar .
To Yogi and his chela Mohsin: - Do you want the video that I'm Celebrating Ind. Pen Day and Fl-ag hosting in bathroom..........
Mr Yogi's statement is a proof for his trust in minorities, for video recording... Its better to send those Usthads who all attended the MRM meet yesterday in Bantwal constituency.
Yogi ji could you please request your headquarters in Nagpur to hoist national flag above RSS's Saffron flag,
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