239 new coronavirus cases in Ahmedabad, total 862
The city has witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases overthe last few days due to "concentrated testing" in hotspotareas, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat now stands at1,376 with 280 new cases, of which 239 were reported inAhmedabad alone.
"Concentrated testing from hotspot areas have led toincrease in number of cases from Ahmedabad. Among the affectedlocalities are Behrampura, Chandlodia, Dariyapur, Danilimda,Manekchowk, Ellis bridge, Ishanpur, Navrangpura, Motera,Nikol, Saraspur, Gomtipur, Jamalpur, Astodia, and Kubenagar,"Ravi said.
Twenty-five COVID-19 patients have died in Ahmedabadso far, while 27 patients have been discharged from hospitals.
Around 13,000 samples have been tested in the city --the highest in the state -- as part of proactive testingapproach of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
The AMC has also roped in private laboratories anddeployed mobile vans to ramp up testing.
"Extensive surveillance by health workers has helpedus find new cases, which reduced the possibility of cases inlakhs and deaths in thousands. We conducted aggressivetesting, from 25-30 per day to 1,500-2,000, that too byapproaching people at their houses," Municipal CommissionerVijay Nehra said.
"The situation is still worsening because we have notbeen able to make people aware completely," he added
Curfew has been imposed in parts of the walled cityarea of Ahmedabad as well as localities like Danilimda andBehrampura to contain the virus spread. KA PDKRK KRK