Strict adherence to lockdown, social distancing to reduce COVID-19 cases: NCDC Director

New Delhi [India], April 21 (ANI): Dr Sujeet Singh, director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Monday said that if people strictly follow lockdown and social distancing, this will substantially bring COVID-19 cases down and help the government in containing the disease.
Dr Singh's observation comes after the Centre said on Monday that India's COVID-19 doubling rate has improved to 7.5 days from 3.4 days before the lockdown was enforced.
"India's doubling rate before the lockdown was 3.4 days. It has now improved to 7.5 days. As per data on April 19, in 18 states, the rate is better than the national average," Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said at a daily briefing here.
Aggarwal informed that various States and UTs have a doubling rate of less than 20 days.
"Delhi has doubling rate of 8.5 days, Karnataka 9.2 days, Telangana 9.4 days, Andhra Pradesh 10.6 days, Jammu and Kashmir 11.5 days, Punjab 13.1 days, Chhattisgarh 13.3 days, Tamil Nadu 14 days and Bihar 16.4 days," he said.
He further informed that many States and UTs have a doubling rate of 20 to 30 days.
"Andaman and Nicobar 20.1 days, Haryana 21 days, Himachal Pradesh 24.5 days, Chandigarh 25.4 days, Assam 25.8 days, Uttarakhand 26.6 days and Ladakh 26.6 days," Agarwal said.
Odisha and Kerala have a doubling rate of more than 30 days, he added.
Agarwal stated that Mahe in Puducherry, Kodagu in Karnataka and Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand have not reported any COVID-19 case in the last 28 days.
"The number of districts where no case has been reported in the last 14 days has increased to 59 in 23 states and UTs. Goa is now COVID-19 free," he said.
India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has risen to 17,656 including 14,255 active cases, 2,842 cured, discharged, migrated and 559 deaths, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)