Mumbai, Apr 16 () The rate of doubling ofcoronavirus cases -- the period during which number of casesdoubles -- in Maharashtra has fallen, state health ministerRajesh Tope said on Thursday.
In a video message, he also claimed that the state hasnot received enough N-95 masks and Personal ProtectiveEquipment (PPE) kits.
Tope also said that all the 1,400 persons who arrivedin the state after attending Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhihave been traced, and only 50 of them have tested positive forcoronavirus. The rest have been quarantined, he said, withoutelaborating on their test status.
"We have demanded eight lakh N-95 masks and 1.
50lakh PPE kits but received only one lakh masks and 30,000kits," he said.
These masks and kits are worn by doctors and nurses.
"However, the state's doubling rate of COVID-19 caseshas slowed down significantly. It was earlier two days whichslowed down to three and a half days and now it is five and ahalf days.
It is a promising sign," said the minister.
"We have also sought permission from the Centre touse the plasma of recovered patients to treat infected people.
There has been research to support it, and we needofficial permission from ICMR," Tope said.
"Out of total number of coronavirus tests we havecarried out in Maharashtra, half of them have been done inMumbai city alone because of the high number of cases in thestate capital," he said.
"Maharashtra is also setting up six more laboratoriesto carry out swab tests for coronavirus infection, taking thetotal number of laboratories to 36," he said.
The minister also admitted that Maharashtrasmortality rate of coronavirus patients is higher than that ofcountry.
He, however, pointed out that 83 per cent of COVID-19victims in the state had existing illness such as diabetes,hypertension and Asthama.
The state has also sought permission for pool testingas well as mass rapid tests from the Indian Council forMedical Research, Tope said. NDKRK KRK