40% decline in growth of COVID-19 cases: Health Ministry

New Delhi, Apr 17: The government on Friday said there has been 40 per cent decline in COVID-19 cases in India since the restrictions came into effect on March 25.

The original 21-day lockdown was extended to another 19 days till May 3 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as India faces one of its worst health crises since Independence.

Addressing the daily press briefing on the current situation of coronavirus in the country, Luv Agarwal, the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare highlighted that India's growth factor, or the number of people infected by each person, has also registered a 40 per cent decline since the lockdown restrictions came into effect.

The official noted that 19 states and union territories, including Kerala, Bihar, Haryana, Odisha, Tripura and Punjab, had a growth factor than the rest of the country.

Agarwal said that 1,749 people, originally infected with the virus, have recovered till date. "Approximately 13.06 per cent people have recovered," he said.

India's doubling rate, or the number of days taken for the cases to increase by twofold, is lower than other major countries, including the US.

Agarwal said before the lockdown, the doubling rate was three days. But once the restrictions came into effect, the doubling rate increased to 6.2 days

India today breached the 13,000-mark with 13,387 COVID-19 cases while the death toll surged to 437. Of these, 11,201 are active cases and 1,748 are cured.