Ahmedabad, Nov 23 (PTI) Ahmedabad reported 344 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest for a district in Gujarat, taking its tally to 47,653, the state health department said.

With 13 more deaths, also the highest in the state, the number of fatalities in the districtrose to 1,981, said the department in a release.

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At the same time, the number of recoveries at 353 exceeded new cases, pushing the count of patients discharged from hospitals so far to 42,331, said the department.

Ahmedabad city reported 319 new cases and 331 recoveries, while the rural parts of the district registered 25 fresh infections and 22 discharges, it said.

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All the 13 deaths were reported within the corporation limits (in the city).

As per a COVID-19 bulletin released by theAhmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the city has 2,865 active cases, with both the west and north-west zone accounting for an equal number at 465 followed by the south-west zone at 457.

Out of the total 1,981 deaths in the district, 1,916 occurredin city hospitals, it said.

Out of a total of 2,705 beds made available for COVID-19 patients across various private hospitals in the city, 2,544, or 94 per cent, are occupied, said the Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association in a release.

As many as 383 ICU beds without ventilators, out of the total 391, (98 per cent), are occupied. Also, 95 per cent ICU beds with ventilators, or 197, are occupied, it said.

To prevent private hospitals from admitting COVID-19 patients who do not require hospitalisation and thereby create scarcity of beds for the needy, the association issued a set of guidelines for these medical facilities.

Amid shortage of beds, more beds are being requisitioned for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, it said.

The state government has also added new facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients by adding hundreds of beds to ensure there is no shortage,officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)