With 2,543 coronavirus cases and 128 deaths, Ahmedabadhas six wards in the red zone and 42 in orange zone.
"It is unfortunate that the city reported 19 deaths ina day. If a person experiences any symptoms of COVID-19, he orshe 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.
The senior civic official had earlier said the highCOVID-19 mortality rate in Ahmedabad was due to late admissionof patients at hospitals.
At five per cent, Ahmedabad's COVID-19 mortality rateis higher than the country's, which is three per cent.
Of 181 coronavirus deaths in Gujarat, Ahmedabad alonehas recorded 70 per cent, while of 3,774 cases in the state,the city accounts for 67 per cent.
Meanwhile, in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19in the city, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation will cancellicences of shops whose owners and employees are found withoutmasks 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 persons, of which 115 have contracted the deadlyinfection," he said, adding that the drive to identify superspreaders will continue.
The civic body will distribute masks and sanitisersto vendors and shop owners who supply essential items, hesaid. PDARU ARU