AHMEDABAD: With 371 new coronavirus cases reported in Gujarat in the last 24 hours, the tally rose to 12,910 on Thursday, while the toll increased to 773 with the death of two dozen more patients - 17 of them in Ahmedabad - health officials said.
During the same period, 24 patients succumbed to the infection, taking the toll to 773 in the state, said Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi.
She added that as many as 269 persons recovered from the disease and discharged from different hospitals in the state in the same period, taking the number of such people to 5,488.
Ravi said the patient recovery rate in some badly affected cities like Surat and Vadodara is better than the national average, which according her, is a good sign in the fight against the pandemic.
"The recovery rate of Surat is 67.07 per cent, almost double than the national average. Vadodara's recovery rate is 62.66 per cent.
"Though coronavirus cases are less in Bhavnagar, the recovery rate there is 73.68 per cent," said Ravi in a video message.
Out of the 371 new cases, 233 were from Ahmedabad district alone.
Other districts from where a significant number of cases have reported are Surat (34), Vadodara (24) and Mehsana (13).
Of the 24 patients who succumbed to the infection during the last 24 hours, as many as 17 died in different hospitals of Ahmedabad, three in Vadodara and one each in Surat, Anand, Kheda and Mehsana, she said.
Till now, Gujarat has conducted 1,66,152 tests, out of which 12,910 came positive, while 1,53,242 turned up negative.
Out of the total 12,910 cases registered in Gujarat so far, as many as 9,449 were reported in Ahmedabad district alone, followed by 1,227 in Surat and 750 in Vadodara.
A majority of the deaths were also reported from these three districts.
While 619 people have died so far in Ahmedabad, 57 succumbed in Surat and 32 in Vadodara.
The state government has started homoeopathy treatment of over 400 patients having mild symptoms of coronavirus after taking their consent, said Ravi.
Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,910, new cases 371, deaths 773, discharged 5488, active cases 6,649, people tested so far 1,66,152.