India confirms 50 deaths, 1,965 cases of COVID-19

By Ahmad Adil

CHANDIGARH, India (AA) - India on Thursday confirmed a total of 50 deaths from the coronavirus and 1,965 cases in the country.

“As of now, 1,965 confirmed cases and 50 deaths have been reported. During the last 24 hours, 328 new confirmed cases and 12 new deaths have been reported. 151 persons have been cured/discharged from the hospitals after recovery,” the government said in a daily bulletin.

Earlier in the day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with chief ministers of states via video conferencing to discuss measures to combat COVID-19.

“Prime Minister said that it is important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once Lockdown ends,” an official release quoted Modi as saying.

The prime minister told the chief ministers that in the next few weeks, “testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine should remain the areas of focus.”

“It is necessary to ensure availability of separate, dedicated hospital facilities for COVID-19 patients,” he added.

Modi will share a video message on Friday morning. “At 9 AM [0330GMT] tomorrow morning, I’ll share a small video message with my fellow Indians,” he said on Twitter.

The Indian government had imposed a 21-day lockdown in the country starting March 25 as part of measures to stem the spread of the virus.

Malls, markets, restaurants, cinemas and public transport remain shut.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China in December, the virus has spread to at least 180 countries and regions.

Data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections surpassing 956,500, with more than 48,500 deaths. Over 202,500 recovered from infections.