Recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the country has improved to 19.89 per cent.

A total of 1,229 fresh COVID cases have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours taking the total number to 21,700. As many as 4325 patients have recovered and discharged from the hospitals, while 686 patients have died.

Health Ministry spokesperson said, there are 78 districts in the country where no new cases of COVID -19 have been reported in the last 14 days. He also said there are 12 districts which have not reported fresh case in the last 28 days.

The Home Ministry Spokesperson informed about the exemptions announced by the government during lockdown. She said the Center has clarified to states that in-house care-givers of senior citizens, prepaid mobile recharge utilities and food processing units in urban areas are exempted from lockdown restrictions.

She said road construction, work at brick kilns and cement factories are a few activities gathering pace in the country. She also said, the states are facilitating commercial activity in areas which are not hot spots as per the guidelines.

Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research chief informed that 325 labs are working in the country to test COVID-19.

He said the positivity rate of COVID-19 has been 4.5 percent throughout and one can say that we have been able to flatten the curve. He also said Centre has been working with states to ensure required reagents are supplied to testing labs in timely and calibrated fashion.

Speaking on the occasion, Director, AIIMS New Delhi said COVID-19 patients are facing a lot of challenges and stigma which is not justified.

He said the recovered patients are symbols of victory. He also said, there is a need to reach out to those patients who are afraid to come out because of stigma posing danger to their lives.

The AIIMS Director said, due to the stigma people have attached to COVID-19, patients are not coming forward and they are coming very late when they have severe breathlessness issues.