The Covid-19 crisis appeared escalating on Monday with at least 11 new deaths including of six from Telangana

The Covid-19 crisis appeared escalating on Monday with at least 11 new deaths including of six from Telangana who had attended a religious congregation in the national capital’s Nizamuddin area earlier this month, while the government reported 227 fresh cases of infection nationwide — the highest for a day.

While the Union Health Ministry maintained the deadly coronavirus was still in the local transmission stage in India and yet to move to the community transmission phase, the Supreme Court cautioned that fear and panic are becoming a bigger problem than the coronavirus.

GOVT DENIES INDIA IN COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION STAGE

The Union Health Ministry in its daily briefing said the Covid-19 is still in local transmission stage in India and it took 12 days for cases of infection to rise from 100 to 1,000 at a rate of increase slower than some of the developed countries.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health Lav Agarwal asserted there has been no community transmission as yet.

“Technically, Covid-19 is still in the local transmission stage in the country as there has been no community transmission as of now,” Health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal said, adding, “If there will be a community transmission we will want to covey it to the community through you (media) to increase the level of alertness and management for Covid-19 at the field level.”

The government also said there was no immediate plan to extend the 21-day lockdown period, which entered its sixth day on Monday, while the Indian Army dismissed as “fake” social media posts about a possible emergency declaration next month.