At the daily briefing for COVID-19, Lav Agrawal, Joint Secretary for the Health Ministry said that India may have reported over 45000 cases today and 1.2 lakh cases by 15 April if the lockdown hadn’t been enforced on 24 March.
Moreover, if other containment measures (along with the lockdown), had also not been implemented, this figure would have risen over 2 lakh today and 8.2 lakh by 15 April, increasing at the cumulative growth rate of 41 percent.
“Lockdown and containment measures are important to fight COVID19. If we had not taken any measures then we might have had 2 lakh cases at this time”, he said.
The data is based on an analysis conducted by the ministry to study the rate of growth of COVID-19 cases, and not on an ICMR study as it was being speculated, Agrawal clarified.
Meanwhile, the nationwide lockdown will be extended for at least two more weeks, based on a consensus between the PM and CMs of all states, PTI reported.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted saying the extension of lockdown was a “correct decision”.
The total number of coronavirus cases in India shot up to 7,447 on Saturday, with the death toll standing at 239, according to the Union Health Ministry. Forty deaths and 1,035 new cases in the last 24 hours — the sharpest ever increase in cases.
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