Active Covid cases in India cross 6,000-mark
New Delhi (PTI): India's active Covid case tally crossed the 6,000 mark with 769 new infections being reported in the last 48 hours, according to the Union health ministry data released on Sunday.
Kerala continues to be the most affected state, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi, according to the ministry.
Due to the rising Covid cases, the Centre is conducting mock drills to check facility-level preparedness and has instructed all states to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines, official sources had said.
There are 6,133 active Covid cases in India, and six more deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, the ministry said. Official sources have maintained that most cases are mild and managed under home care.
Since January this year, 65 deaths have been reported in the country. There were a total of 257 active patients in the country on May 22.
A series of technical review meetings were held on June 2 and 3 under the chairpersonship of Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, to evaluate the Covid situation and preparedness measures.
Representatives from the Disaster Management Cell, Emergency Management Response Cell, National Centre for Disease Control, Indian Council of Medical Research, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, central government hospitals in Delhi, and all states and Union Territories were part of the meeting.
Official sources on June 4 said state and district surveillance units under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme are closely monitoring Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI).
"Testing is recommended for all admitted SARI cases and 5 per cent of ILI cases as per guidelines, and positive SARI samples are sent for Whole Genome Sequencing through the ICMR VRDL network, " an official source said.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
