Fresh COVID-19 cases cross the 2000-mark in Jaipur for the first time on Monday

With the coronavirus infection graph following a continuously rising trend in Rajasthan, over 2000 fresh COVID cases were reported in Jaipur for the first time on Monday. According to the Health Department, the daily cases in the Pink City rose to report the highest spike ever, with over 2,011 detections, mounting the active load to 14,502 cases. The fatality count also peaked with 11 deaths in a single day, pushing the toll to 567 fatalities in Jaipur.

Jaipur under COVID's clutches

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A day after the imposition of the Anushashan Pakhwada lockdown across Rajasthan, Jaipur recorded the highest-ever surge in the tallies of fresh infections and the death toll. This coupled with staggered recoveries has mounted to the city's trouble, raising alarms across the health and administrative spectrum.

About 18% of all reported cases in Jaipur, continue to receive active treatment in hospitals and care centres, overwhelming the medical infrastructure. Consequently, the Chief Minister directed to set up COVID care centres and institutional quarantine facilities at district hospitals and medical colleges to reduce the pressure of asymptomatic or less severe COVID-19 patients. This decision gained significance in the light of hospital bed shortage across various treatment facilities in Jaipur where positive patients were lined up in corridors due to unavailability of resources.

RT-PCR test rates slashed to ₹350

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The Rajasthan cabinet has also slashed down the cost of RT-PCR COVID testing in private hospitals and laboratories to ₹350, the lowest in the country. This will encourage people to get tested and help the healthcare officials nip the infection at the early stage, in most cases.

Senior officials have also directed the health department to take strict action against all labs and health officers who delay in providing the RT-PCR test results. Such negligence can prove fatal for the patient and also lead to further transmission due to ignorance, the officials stated.