As many as 1,03,844 people tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours in India, led by a massive spike in the pandemic in Maharashtra, which added a record 57,074 fresh infections, reported the Union Health Ministry and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The country’s overall tally reached 12,589,067, while the death toll from the deadly infection jumped to 165,101.
In view of the urgency of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the chief ministers of various states on Covid-19 situation and vaccination-related issues on April 8 via video conferencing, according to sources. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will chair a meeting with the health ministers of 11 states and Union Territories today, said sources.
On Sunday, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation and the vaccination programme, directing central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh in view of high caseload and deaths. He also said the five-fold strategy of testing, tracing, treatment, Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccination, if implemented with seriousness and commitment, would be effective in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
According to the statement of the PMO: “There is an alarming rate of growth of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country with 10 states contributing to more than 91 per cent of cases and deaths due to Covid.”
India’s worst-affected state Maharashtra reported 47,288 new Covid-19 cases and 26,252 discharges in the last 24 hours. The state total of Covid-19 cases stand at 30,57,885 while the total number of patients discharged in the state stands at 25,49,075. As many as 56,033 patients also died due to the contagion. The total number of active cases remains 4,51,375.
Maharashtra›s chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has written to PM Modi requesting him to allow vaccination for everyone above the age of 25. The CM also thanked PM Modi for accepting his proposal of allowing all persons above 45 years to be made eligible for Covid vaccination.
State capital Mumbai registered over 9,857 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. This is the second time the city has recorded over 9,000 cases in a week. Mumbai also recorded 21 fatalities due to the infection in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 3,357 Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease there.
Delhi recorded a slight dip in daily cases of coronavirus disease after 3,548 fresh infections. The new cases pushed the total cases to 6,79,962. The fatality count also rose to 11,096 after 15 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
In a bid to increase the pace of inoculation against Covid-19, the government has announced that one-third of the vaccination sites in all government hospitals in Delhi will function from 9 pm to 9 am.
Uttar Pradesh reported 3,999 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 6,34,033, while 13 fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,894. The number of active cases in the state has gone up to 22,820, of which 12,338 patients are in home isolation, 512 are undergoing treatment in private hospitals, and the remaining are using various government facilities. So far, 6,02,319 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
Madhya Pradesh reported 3,398 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections to 3,10,249. The fatality count rose to 4,055 after 15 more patients succumbed to the infection during the past 24 hours. A total of 2,064 patients were discharged during the day, taking the count of recoveries in the state to 2,83,540.
Tamil Nadu reported 3,672 new infections and 11 deaths, pushing the caseload over the 9 lakh-mark, aggregating 9,03,479 cases and total fatalities to 12,789. Recoveries mounted to 8,66,913 today with 1,842 patients being discharged, leaving 23,777 active cases, which included those in isolation.
As many as 32 more deaths in Karnataka were linked to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, as the death toll rose to 12,657. Meanwhile, the state reported 5,279 new Covid-19 cases. Of these, 3,728 new cases were reported from Bengaluru Urban alone, as the daily test positivity rate across the state rose to 5.39 percent.