Five states account for over 84% of total active Covid infections

India's total COVID-19 active cases stand at 1.68 lakh with five statesaccounting for 84.16 per centof the active infections, while six states and UTs have a weekly positivity rate higher than the national average of 2 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Maharashtra and Kerala alone account for 67.84 per centof total active cases, it said.

Six states and UTs including Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Chandigarh, Punjab and Gujarat have a weekly positivity rate higher than the national average of 2 per cent. Maharashtra leads all the states with a weekly positivity rate of 10.02 per cent, the ministry said.

India's total COVID-19 active caseload stands at 1,68,358as the country added 12,286 new cases in a span of 24 hours. The country's present active caseload now consists of1.51 per centof India's total infections.

The ministry said80.33 per cent of the new cases are from five states.

Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,397. It is followed by Kerala with 1,938 while Punjab reported 633 new cases.

The Centre is continuously engaging with the states and UTs manifesting higher caseload of active cases and those reporting a rise in the daily new COVID-19 cases.

"They have been advised to maintain a continued rigorous vigil for containing the spread of COVID-19. Need for effective testing, comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation of positive cases and quick quarantine of close contacts are strongly emphasized," the ministry said.

"Eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases," it highlighted.

Five states --Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Tamil Naducumulatively account for 84.16 per centof the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for 46.82 per cent of India's total active cases, followed by Kerala with 28.61 per cent.

A total of1,48,54,136 vaccine doses have been administeredas per the provisional report till Tuesday 7 am.

These include67,04,613 Healthcare workers (HCW)s who got 1st dose, 25,97,799 HCWs (2nd dose)and53,44,453 frontline workers (FLW)s who got 1stdose, 24,279 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st dose) and 1,82,992 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

The 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccination started on February 13 for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the 1st dose. Vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

The total COVID-19 recoveries have surged to 1,07,98,921 with 12,464patients having been discharged in a span of 24 hours.

"India's recovery rate at 97.07 per cent continues to be amongst the highest in the world," the ministry said adding86.55 per centof the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 6 states.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries with 5,754 newly recovered cases. A total of 3,475 people recovered in Kerala in a span of 24 hours followed by 482 in Tamil Nadu.

Besides, 91 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours.

Six states account for 85.71 percentof the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (30). Punjab follows with 18 daily deaths. Kerala reported 13 deaths.

Nineteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours. These are West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Lakshadweep, Ladakh (UT), Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, D&D & D&N and Arunachal Pradesh.