New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination programme amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
PTI sources said top officials, including the cabinet secretary, principal secretary to the prime minister, health secretary and NITI Aayog member Vinod Paul, attended the meeting.
India on Sunday recorded 93,249 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day rise so far this year, which took the total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,24,85,509, according to Union health ministry data.
This is the biggest daily rise in cases since September 19, when 93,337 fresh infections were recorded.
The death toll climbed to 1,64,623 on Sunday with 513 new fatalities, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.
Eight states including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat account for 80.96% of the 93,249 new daily COVID-19 cases, according to the Union health ministry.
Watch | ‘Double Mutant’ Likely Fueling Maharashtra’s COVID-19 Surge: Shahid Jameel
India is seeing a steep intensification in the doubling time of the COVID-19 cases. As of April 4, it is 115.4 days, the ministry said on Sunday.
India’s total active caseload has reached 6,91,597 and now comprises 5.54% of the country’s total infections. A net rise of 32,688 cases recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.41% of the total active cases in the country, the ministry said.
Maharashtra alone accounts for more than half (58.19%) of the total active caseload of the country.
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 49,447. This is followed by Chhattisgarh with 5,818 cases while Karnataka reported 4,373 new cases.
Twelve states including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, the ministry said.
India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,16,29,289 with 60,048 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours. Besides, 513 deaths were reported in a day.
Watch | ‘India’s Current COVID-19 Surge May Be Worse Than the First, Needs Attention’
Eight states account for 85.19% of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (277). Punjab follows with 49 daily deaths, the ministry said.
Fourteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Odisha, Assam, Puducherry, Ladakh (UT), D&D & D&N, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.
On the issue of vaccination, the ministry said the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 7,59,79,651 (through 11,99,125 sessions).
These include 89,82,974 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose, 53,19,641 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 96,86,477 frontline workers who have received the 1st dose and 40,97,510 FLWs who have taken the 2nd dose .
In addition, 4,70,70,019 and 8,23,030 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years have been administered the 1st and 2nd dose respectively.
The cumulative vaccination figure includes over 6.5 crore (6,57,39,470) first doses, while the second dose numbers have crossed the 1 crore mark as well (1,02,40,181), the ministry said.
As on day-78 of the vaccination drive (3rd April), 27,38,972 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 24,80,031 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 2,58,941 beneficiaries received their 2nd dose of vaccine.
Eight states account for 60.19% of the cumulative doses given so far. Maharashtra alone accounts for 9.68∞ of the total doses given in India.
Maharashtra has alone distributed 65,59,094 1st doses and 7,95,150 2nd doses.
(With PTI inputs)
