New Delhi,  A total of 149 new coronavirus cases, including two deaths, have been reported since Friday, taking the overall positive cases in the country to 873, Health Ministry officials said on Saturday.

Lav Agarwal, the Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, said the government is focussing on high disease-burden hotspots and is working in-tandem with states to implement rigourous contact-tracing, community surveillance and containment strategies.

The focus is also on setting up dedicated COVID- 19 hospitals in every state, he said, adding 17 states have so far started work on this.

“We are constantly engaged in discussion with states for earmarking dedicated COVID-19 hospitals,” said Agarwal.

“All patients having severe acute respiratory illness are being tested for COVID-19, An ICMR official said.

A reduction in the viral-load has been observed in COVID- 19 patients who have been given Hydroxychloroquine drug, said Raman R Gangakhedkar, the Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at ICMR.