347 new cases take Gujarat tally to 8,542
Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health), said that these cases were reported from Ahmedabad (268), Vadodra (29), Surat (19 )and the rest from other districts.
On Monday, Gujarat reported 347 positive cases of Covid-19, taking the toll of affected people to 8542.

Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health), said that these cases were reported from Ahmedabad (268), Vadodra (29), Surat (19 )and the rest from other districts.
“Twenty deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. A total of 2780 have been discharged. Conditions of 5218 people are stable and 31 are on ventilator. The graph of discharged people is improving and deaths are also reducing day by day. 1616471 tests have been done so far,” Ravi said.
The Gujarat government on Monday also launched India’s first hot air seam sealing machine, which makes the personal protective equipment (PPE ) kit used for the protection of such doctors-paramedical staff completely secure with specialised tape.
Chief minister Vijay Rupani lauded a Rajkot based company for preparing this machine. “The initiative of protecting the PPE kits with hot air seam sealing tape, which provides 100% protection against the transmission of the virus to the doctors and health workers, who are currently engaged in the treatment of Covid-19, is really appreciable,” the CM said in an official statement issued by the state government.
He added that the PPE kit is prepared by a sewing needle which is about 2mm thick and thread that is 0.5mm thick. As a result, if the infected patient’s blood or fluid enters the kit through tiny apertures left on the kit, the doctor-paramedical staff treating the infected patients may also be infected. By using this machine, the holes left in the sewing process in the PPE kit are sealed using specialised tape to make the PPE kit water and air proof to resist the virus.
“There is not enough availability of such hot air seam sealing machine in the country so it has to be imported from abroad. The cost of such a machine imported from China or Korea is Rs 7 to Rs 8 lakh and delivery time is 12-13 weeks. In just a short span of 20 days, a team of 100 workers have given Rajkot the pride of manufacturing the first hot air seam sealing machine in India with 80% in-house parts,” Rupani said.
Dr Parthiv Mehta, pulmonologist-intensivist said that this machine would be very useful for the corona warriors. “Through this machines kits are sealed using specialised tape making it air proof and reducing chances of leakage,” he said.
The Gujarat government also launched the third phase of Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan (SSJA) in order to provide employment opportunities to the workers and labourers amid the national lockdown.
Providing details of the work under SSJA, Ashwani Kumar, secretary to the chief minister, said that 3463 gram panchayats have started 18,824 works under MNREGA, thereby providing employment to 3, 04,756 labourers and workers. “This includes 37, 519 workers from Bhavnagar, 33,800 from Narmada, 20,821 from Chhota Udepur, 20,168 from Dahod, 20,041 from Panchmahal in addition to workers from the 3463 gram panchayats. The administration is ensuring welfare of the workers in addition to following safety protocols,” he said.
Kumar said the Gujarat Government has successfully sent more than 5.5 lakh migrant labourers to their respective states through 209 labour trains. The district administration of Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara all contributed.

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