At least 34 auto-rickshaw drivers have tested positive for coronavirus in a single day during a special drive in Gujarat’s Surat to identify potential “super-spreaders”, an official said on Tuesday. Surat city is seeing a fresh surge in COVID-19 cases, with 429 new infections being detected on Monday.

He said drivers of autorickshaws, vegetable vendors and grocers are being tested on a largescale. They are given health cards if they test negative for coronavirus. “At least 34 auto-rickshaw drivers in the city tested positive for coronavirus (on Monday),” Surat Municipal Commissioner BN Pani told reporters.

He appealed to people to wear face masks especially while travelling in auto-rickshaws. The civic body has begun testing shopkeepers in market areas tobreak the chain of virus transmission.

The total case count in Surat city is 45,182 while the tally of recoveries is 42,544. 862 patients have died so far due to COVID-19 disease.

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