Nearly 17,615 Indians Tested Positive for COVID-19: ICMR

Total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India has increased to 17,615 as per the latest data released by the ICMR. The release said, "Today, on 19 April 2020, till 9 pm, 27,824 samples have been reported. Of these, 1,135 were positive for SARS-CoV-2."

As per ICMR, a "total of 4,01,586 samples from 3,83,985 individuals have been tested as on 19 April 2020, till 9 PM. 17,615 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known."

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday asserted that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases has increased from three days before the imposition of lockdown in March to 9.7 days now.

"The rate of growth of new cases has been steadying for a while. As per the data received today by 8 a.m., over the past seven days, the doubling rate is 7.2 days, for the past 14 days, it is 6.2, and over the past three days, it stands at 9.7. Before the lockdown, India’s doubling rate was about three days," Harsh Vardhan said.

The Health Minister said that the doubling rate is lower, despite the fact that the number of tests done every day has increased by almost 14 times.

Source-IANS