Jaipur: The swine flu menace continued its upward march in the state with 31 new cases being detected on Monday. The total number of H1N1 positive cases now stands at 448. According to director, medical and health OP Gupta, no death has been reported in the state on Monday. Swine flu, till now, has claimed 28 lives in the state. The medical department bulletin said of the 81 samples tested for the disease on Monday, 31 were found positive. Jaipur continues to lead where 13 new cases were reported, followed by nine cases in Kota, four in Udaipur, two in Bharatpur, and one each in Ajmer, Dausa and Chittorgarh. The medical and health department claimed that from April to September 6, it has screened 55 lakh people for swine flu. Meanwhile, during the day chief minister Ashok Gehlot took stock of the situation along with higher officials of the medical department. The ongoing resident doctors strike however, has come as a big set back to the government at a time when the disease is fast spreading in the state. Gehlot appealed to the doctors to withdraw their agitation. VAT lifted from swine flu drug The state government has declared Oseltamivir, an antiviral drug, VAT free in the state. Popularly sold as Tamilflu tablets, the drug slows the spread of influenza (flu).Chief minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal to this effect by the medical department on Monday to combat the spread of the disease