NEW DELHI: The number of coronavirus positive cases in India are increasing at an alarming rate. The Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare on Saturday announced that 11,458 fresh cases have been reported in the last 24 hours leading to the highest single-day spike in cases. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country crossed 3 lakh mark and it is 3,08,993, while the death toll is at 8,884.

Amid rising COVID-19 cases in India, experts on Saturday claimed that the reports of ICMR stating that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 is not reflective of the current situation. They pointed out that the pandemic has reached the community stage in many parts of the country. ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava stated that India is definitely not in the community transmission stage. India's first sero-survey to monitor the trend of coronavirus infection transmission found that 0.73 per cent of the 26,400 people surveyed from about 65 districts were exposed to coronavirus.

He said that, " India is definitely not in community transmission stage. But we have to continue with effective surveillance & containment strategies. We are now conducting 1.51 lakh tests per day and have the capacity to conduct up to 2 lakh tests per day. We also crossed the 50 lakh tests conducted mark a few days back."

Former AIIMS director Dr MC Mishra speaking to a news agency said that, “With the mass exodus and the country unlocking, it has become more rapid and the disease has reached areas where there were no cases. It is high time the government comes to fore and acknowledges it so that people become more alert and do not become complacent.”

Virologist Shahid Jameel said "It's just that the health authorities are not admitting it. Even ICMR's own study of SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) showed that about 40 per cent of those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 did not have any history of overseas travel or contact to a known case. If this is not community transmission, what is."

Lung surgeon Dr Arvind Kumar asserted that India is a big country and every state is experiencing the virus in a different manner and peaking at different times. He further added that it cannot be denied the fact that there is no community transmission in the places like Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. He further stated that, "The antibodies take two weeks to develop so the survey is reflective of April. In April, we were in the best possible state. Based on a study representing the April situation, saying that we are not in community transmission is a wrong statement."

Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, Head of the Department, Pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Faridabad added that, "The government has stopped contact tracing. Earlier the government was doing rigorous contact tracing, but in the last 7-10 days no government, in Delhi or anywhere, is doing it. They know community transmission is happening, but are not accepting it."