As many as 216 districts within the country haven't reported any COVID-19 cases till now, 42 districts haven't registered any infections within the last 28 days and 29 districts haven't recorded any case within the last 21 days, the Union health ministry said on Friday. The ministry asserted that if dos and don'ts are followed, the height in a number of COVID-19 cases is often avoided. Addressing a news conference, joint secretary within the health ministry Lav Agarwal said India's recovery rate stands at 29.36 per cent with 16,540 COVID-19 patients cured till now, including 1,273 who recovered within the last 24 hours.

A total of three,390 COVID-19 cases and 103 deaths are reported within the last 24 hours till Friday 8 am, taking the entire number of cases to 56,342 and price to 1,886, consistent with the ministry.

Giving a district-wise situation, Agarwal said there are 216 districts during which no COVID-19 case has been reported till date. Forty-two districts have had no fresh cases within the last 28 days, there are 29 districts with no fresh cases within the last 21 days, 36 districts with no fresh cases within the last 14 days, and 46 districts with no fresh cases within the last seven days, he said.

AIIMS Delhi Director, Dr Randeep Guleria's reportedly cited data that the height of the disease in India could also be reached in June or July, Agarwal was quoted as saying, "If we follow dos and don'ts, we might not reach the height in number of COVID-19 cases and our curve may remain flat."

Agarwal also said that that the ICMR will conduct clinical tests to assess the security and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in 21 hospitals. The hospitals where the trials are going to be conducted comprise five from Maharashtra, four from Gujarat, two each from Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, UP, and one each from Karnataka, Chandigarh, Punjab, Telangana.

He said 3.2 per cent of total active COVID-19 cases are on oxygen support, 4.2 per cent in ICU and 1.1 per cent on a ventilator. During the briefing, Agarwal also said the railways has converted 5,231 coaches into COVID Care Centres which can be placed at 215 identified railway stations and can be used for the treatment of very mild and mild COVID19 patients.