Gujarat govt says Covid-19 death rate down from 6% to 1.5%

Even as the increase in coronavirus cases in Gujarat continues unabated, the state government on Wednesday claimed the situation was improving as the death rate has come down to 1.5 per cent.

Speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the mortality rate, which was 6.5 per cent in March-April, had now fallen to 1.5 per cent.

"Against 50 deaths being recorded on a single day earlier, the daily toll has now come down to 15," Patel said.

Gujarat on Wednesday reported a new high of 925 new coronavirus cases which took case count to 44,648, the state health department said. With 10 patients succumbing to the viral infection, the death toll reached 2,081, it said.

Patel, who handles the health portfolio, however, pointed out that the period during which cases doubled has improved.

"People were getting infected very fast earlier. There was a time when the doubling rate was nine days. Now with the government's proactive measures, it has improved to 32 days," he said.

Even the recovery rate had improved significantly in Gujarat, the deputy CM said.

From the earlier 30 per cent, the recovery rate now stands at 70 per cent, Patel said, adding that 30,550 Covid-19 patients have recovered so far.

42,051 hospital beds were available to treat coronavirus patients, he added.