Ahmedabad records 261 new coronavirus cases, tally over 7,000

The number of coronavirus positive patients in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat rose to 7,171 after 261 new cases were reported since Thursday night, officials said. Of the 20 COVID-19 patients who succumbed to the infection across Gujarat during this period, 14 died at hospitals in Ahmedabad city, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi.

Death toll in the district thus reached 479. Of the total 282 patients given discharge in Gujarat during the last 24 hours, 135 were from Ahmedabad alone.

Out of the total 7,171 cases registered in Ahmedabad district so far, as many as many as 130 cases are from rural areas, while remaining are from the city localities. To contain the spread of the virus, Ahmedabad city was put under a complete lockdown since May 7, as the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had ordered closure of all the shops except those providing milk and medicine from May 7 till May 15.

On Friday, all the shops selling essential items, like fruits, vegetables and grocery, reopened in the city. "The situation will get normal in the next couple days. We have so far conducted tests of around 12,500 super spreaders, such as vegeta ble vendors, and found 700 of them positive for coronavirus. We stopped them from spreading virus," said Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta, who is overseeing works related to COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.