The state reported 18,213 fresh infections with a test-positivity rate of 26.31 per cent, according to a bulletin issued by state Health Department. (File) Haryana on Friday witnessed yet another big spike in COVID-19 cases, with 3,748 people, including the ruling party JJP chief Ajay Chautala, testing positive in the last 24 hours.
A total of 1,879 new positive cases were reported from the Gurugram district alone.
Jannayak Janta Party chief Ajay Chautala tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. He informed about his infection on Twitter and said he has isolated himself.
He also requested everyone who came in contact with him in the last few days to get themselves tested.
Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Deepender Singh Hooda too had tested positive for Covid recently.
Amid the sharp rise in Covid cases, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the state is braced up with adequate arrangements to contain the virus spread.
Health Minister Anil Vij, on the other hand, too has begun visiting various districts to take stock of the health services and ensure that the spread of Covid is checked and those admitted in health facilities do not face any problem, an official statement said.
Vij also conducted a surprise inspection at the Panchkula Civil Hospital on Friday and examined the functioning of the oxygen plant there. He also took stock of the health services in the hospital.
The state, meanwhile, reported three Covid deaths, two of them from Ambala district and one from Yamunanagar, the state Health Department’s daily bulletin said.
Haryana has been registering a consistent rise in fresh cases over the past several days.
The state also reported nine new cases of Omicron variant on Friday taking the tally of such cases in the state to 123 of which 31 are active while the rest have been discharged, the bulletin said.
The total Covid case count in the state rose to 7,85,444 since the beginning of the infection.
In addition to Gurugram, Faridabad reported 580 cases, Sonipat 191, Panchkula 313, Ambala 156 and Karnal 142.
The Health Department bulletin said the death toll rose to 10,070 after the three fatalities. The total active cases in the state were 10,775 while the overall recoveries were 7,64,576.
The recovery rate was 97.34 per cent, the bulletin said.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government on Friday, asked Deputy Commissioners to ramp up, earmark infrastructure, oxygen and essential medicines availability to tackle a heavy patient load, if and when required.
An advisory was issued to all the Deputy Commissioners to initiate specific measures in their respective districts to curtail further transmission of the virus by the office of Haryana Chief Secretary in this regard on Friday.
“The government of Haryana has taken various measures for containing the spread of Covid-19. As part of graded response, various restrictions were put in place for major public activities and guidelines have been issued from time to time as per the evolving situation. Considering the rise in Covid-19 cases in the state, all the Deputy Commissioners have been directed to strengthen their preparedness for tackling any adverse situation in future due to a surge in number of cases,” the directions issued by Chief Secretary, Sanjeev Kaushal, reads.
The Deputy Commissioners have been asked to “establish/ demarcate Covid-care centres in rural and urban areas required for isolation and treatment of Covid-19 positive patients for treatment. The deputy Commissioners are also advised to review their stock of oxygen and essential medicines and also to chalk out a plan for ensuring supply and availability of the same, for any adverse situation in future”.
Regarding home isolation guidelines, the advisory mentions, “Over the past two years, it has been seen globally, as well as in India, that a majority of Covid-19 patients are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Such cases usually recover with minimal intervention and accordingly may be managed at home under proper medical guidance and monitoring. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on January 5, issued updated guidelines for home isolation to clarify selection criteria, precautions that need to be followed by such patients and their families, signs that require monitoring and prompt reporting to health facilities. All Deputy Commissioners are advised to publicise the same for the information of general public.”
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