coronavirus death toll in india: India’s coronavirus death toll hits 50

The number of the dead from novel coronavirus in India has now crossed 50, with 12 of them being reported in the last 24 hours alone.

Latest data released by the Health ministry today put total confirmed cases in the country at 1,965 so far.

The country saw positive cases jump by 437 in the last 24 hours, with Delhi’s Markaz Nizamuddin religious gathering accounting for most of the cases.

The government is now focusing on 10 hotspots across the country in its effort to control the coronavirus pandemic. There are two hotspots each in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala and Maharashtra and one each in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Maharashtra is the most-affected state with 335 cases and thirteen deaths. Kerala is the second most affected Indian state with 265 cases and two deaths, followed by Tamil Nadu with 234 cases.

The country has been under a 21-day total lockdown, starting March 25th.

The government has been under criticism for its rickety healthcare system, which has now been stretched to the limit as numbers steadily rise. While India’s covid tally is seen to be on the lower side, as compared to other countries, many argue that the lack of proper testing is clouding the real impact of the virus.

As per latest reports by the Indian Centre for Medical Research(ICMR), there are now 126 government labs conducting tests, with a capacity utilisation of about 38%. Besides, 51 private labs have also been given approval to conduct tests for the infection.

The virus with common flu-like symptoms like cough, cold, fever and breathlessness, has now affected almost a million people worldwide, killing almost 50,000.