Ahmedabad COVID-19 cases rise by 276 to 8420; death toll 524

Ahmedabad, May 17 () The number of COVID-19 casesin Ahmedabad district mounted to 8,420 on Sunday with 276 morepeople testing positive for coronavirus while the fatalitiesrose to 524 after 31 patients succumbing to the viralinfection, a Health official said.

A total of 115 patients were discharged, taking thetotal number of recovered cases here to 5,236.

Meanwhile, the state government has appointedViceChairman and CEO of Gujarat Maritime Board Mukesh Kumar as thefull-fledged Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad in place ofVijay Nehra who is in quarantine.

Nehra was transferred as Commissioner of RuralDevelopment and Secretary to Government(Rural Development), alittle over a week after he self-quarantined himself aftergetting exposed to the coronavirus positive persons, said agovernment notification.

Amid rising number of cases in city, the AhmedabadMunicipal Corporation (AMC) has identified 42 privatehospitals as "designated COVID hospitals".

"These hospitals shall provide 50per cent of thetotal numbers of beds for COVID-19 patients to be referred bythe AMC," it said.