234 new COVID-19 cases take Ahmedabad tally to 2,777; 9 die

(Eds: Updates with details)

Ahmedabad, Apr 29 () The COVID-19 death toll inAhmedabad rose to 137 on Wednesday with nine more peoplesuccumbing, while the number of cases increased to 2,777 withthe detection of 234 fresh infections, the state healthdepartment said.

Ahmedabad district reported 234 novel coronaviruscases and nine deaths in the last 24 hours, according tofigures put out by the health department.

With this, the case count has risen to 2,777 and thefatality tally to 137.

Ahmedabad city, the worst-affected by coronavirus inGujarat, had registered 19 deaths and 164 new cases onTuesday.

Out of the nine persons who have died, four werewomen and five men. Of the nine, two, a 45-year-old woman anda 65-year-old man, had no underlying health conditions, thestatement said.

A total of 22 patients - 13 men and 9 women - weredischarged on Wednesday from city hospitals, taking the numberof those recovered from the disease to 263, it said.

City civic authorities said high number of deaths canbe avoided if positive patients get admitted in hospitals assoon as they develop symptoms of the infection.

If a person experiences any symptoms of COVID-19, heor she should immediately rush to a civic hospital. It isimportant to seek timely treatment, if lives are to be saved,"municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said on Wednesday after thecity reported 19 deaths on Tuesday.

The senior civic official had earlier said the highCOVID-19 mortality rate in Ahmedabad was due to late admissionof patients at hospitals.

At 5 per cent, Ahmedabad's COVID-19 mortality rate ishigher than the country's, which is 3 per cent.

Of the 197 coronavirus deaths in Gujarat so far,Ahmedabad alone has recorded 137, while of the 4082 cases inthe state, the city has 2777.

Meanwhile, in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19in the city, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decidedto cancel licences of shops whose owners and employees arefound working without masks from May 1.

Fines ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 will beimposed on owners or employees of establishments who are foundwithout masks, while employees of super markets who flout therule will be fined Rs 50,000, Nehra said.

Licences of vendors and shops will be suspended forthree months if they continue to violate the rule, he said.

Nehra termed vegetable vendors, shop owners, employeesof petrol pumps and medical stores as "super spreaders", asthey come in contact with several people and can infectthousands if they have COVID-19.

"We have identified 7,793 people who fall in thecategory of super spreaders in 48 wards of the city. We havetested 2,098 such persons, of which 115 were found to havecontracted the deadly infection," he said, adding the drive toidentify super spreaders will continue.

The civic body will distribute masks and sanitisers tovendors and shop owners who supply essential items, he said. PDRSY RSY