Coronavirus crisis: In 24 hours, India reports 3,320 COVID-19 positive cases

New Delhi, May 09: The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said that India's tally of the novel coronavirus stood at 59,662 after 3,320 new cases and 95 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the Health Ministry, there are 39,834 active cases and 17,847 people who have been cured/discharged across the country.

Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Luv Agarwal said during a press briefing on the COIVD-19 situation in India, that the doubling rate of cases has reduced recently.

"We will have to learn to live with the virus. All practices should be implemented as a behavioural change. The challenge is massive, we need everyone's support," Agarwal said.

The Health Ministry has also revised its guidelines for discharge of patients of COVID-19, saying only severe cases would be tested once through the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, after the symptoms subside.

It can be seen that the revised guidelines are in complete contrast with the government's earlier guidelines that said a case confirmed by laboratory had to be tested on day 14 once and then again in a span of 24 hours, and the patient would be fit for discharge only if both the results are negative.