India reports seventh death due to coronavirus, first from Gujarat

India on Sunday reported its seventh death due to coronavirus. This is the first fatality reported from the state of Gujarat.

The 67-year-old man had beenin the hospital forfour days.

Earlier in the day, a38-year-old man with travel history to Qatar succumbed to COVID-19at the AIIMS in Patna. Saif Ali (38), a resident of Munger district in Bihar, was admitted to the hospital with kidney ailment on Friday, However, doctors noticed that he was also suffering from respiratory problems, following which they sent his swab samples to the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI), Patna.

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The number of cases of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 341 on Sunday after fresh cases were reported in various parts of the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said.

“As many as 341 confirmed cases have been confirmed. It may vary as I mention,” Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, MoHFW, said, in a press briefing on Sunday in New Delhi.

It is amid this spurt that the country is observing an unprecedented shutdown on Sunday following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for a 'Janata curfew’. Under this, people have been urged to voluntarily stay indoors to check the spread of coronavirus while public transport is suspended or curtailed and all markets and shops except those dealing in essential items are closed on the day.

In addition to this, Section 144 of CrPC will be imposed in Delhi with effect from 9 pm on March 22 to 12 midnight of March 31.

The Indian government has been keeping a close watch on the preparedness of the health facilities in the wake of the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19.

TheICMR on Saturday revised its strategy to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. It said all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will now be tested forCOVID-19infection. The newICMRguidelines also said asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.