Health Ministry said that 16,540 people have been recovered till now and the recovery rate is 29.36 per cent. Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, a Health Ministry official informed that 216 districts have not reported any case till date, 42 districts have no fresh cases in last 28 days and 29 districts have no fresh cases in the last 21 days.

The official said that cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the country has climbed to 56, 342 while the death toll stands at 1886. 37, 916 people under active medical supervision.In the last 24 hours, 3,390 new cases have come up and 1,273 people have been recovered.

The Official said, Health Ministry has issued additional guidelines for facility quarantine or isolation of returnees from abroad or contacts or isolation of suspects or confirmed cases in private facilities like hotels, service apartments, lodges etc.He said, as migrant workers return to their home states, it is essential that all guidelines and precautions regarding infection prevention and management are to be followed. He said, some states have witnessed a rise in cases during last few days adding that there is a need to strengthen containment efforts to stop the rise.

The Official said, Indian Railways has converted 5 thousand 2 hundred 31 coaches into COVID Care Centres, which will be placed at 215 identified railway stations.He said, these coaches will be used for treatment of very mild and mild COVID19 patients. Maximum of two persons will be housed in one cabin. Healthcare staff will be given by Railways in 85 stations and in other 130 stations, the state Government will provide staff and essential medicines.

He said, Project PLACID - Phase-II Open-Label Randomised Controlled Trial of ICMR has received approval of COVID19 National Ethics Committee.He said, under it, ICMR will conduct trial in 21 hospitals, to assess safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma.

Home Ministry official said, Railways has run 222 Shramik Special Trains for movement of stranded persons and more than 2.5 lakh people have made use of this facility so far. She said, the process for return of Indian nationals stranded abroad through non-scheduled commercial flights and Indian Navy ships has begun from Thursday.She informed that if any traveller is found symptomatic upon arrival, he or she will be taken to medical facility and others will be taken to 14-day institutional quarantine.

The official said, an Inter Ministerial Coordination Committee comprising officials of Ministries of Health, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Civil Avaition, Armed Forces and Air India has been constituted, to implement Standard Operating Procedures for evacuation of stranded people to and from India.She said, killing of migrant workers on railway tracks in Aurangabad an unfortunate incident.