Five states record sharp rise in daily Covid-19 cases: Health Ministry

Five states -- Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat -- have registered a sharp rise in daily COVID-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday as India recorded 59,118 new infections, the highest single-day rise so far this year.

After touching its lowest mark in mid-February, India's active COVID-19 caseload is on a steady rise and has breached the 4-lakh mark again after around three-and-half months.

As of date, there are 4.21 lakh active cases in the country, a net rise of 25,874 infections in a day.

"Three states -- Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab -- together account for 73.64 per cent of the total active cases in the country," the health ministry said.

As for daily COVID-19 cases,Maharashtra reported the highest 35,952 infections in a day, followed by 2,661 in Punjab and 2,523 in Karnataka.

According to the ministry, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Gujarat collectively account for 80 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases.

Ten states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Haryana and Rajasthan -- are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, it highlighted

India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,12,64,637 with32,987 people recuperating in a day. Besides, 257 deaths were reported in a day.

Six states account for 78.6 per centof the new deaths with Maharashtra reporting 111 fatalities and Punjab 43, the health ministry said.

Fourteen states and Union Territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a day. These are Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Odisha, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, the Andamanand Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, over 5.5 crore vaccine doses have been administered through9,01,887 sessions throughout the country according to a provisional report till 7 am on Friday.

These include80,34,547 healthcare and 85,99,981 frontline workers who have received the first dose, 51,04,398 healthcare and 33,98,570 frontline workers who have been administered the second dose.

Also, 55,99,772 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific comorbidities and 2,47,67,172 senior citizens have been given the first dose of vaccine.

On March 25, day 69 of the vaccination drive, more than 23 lakh vaccine doses were given, of which 21,54,934 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 40,595 sessions for 1stdose and 2,03,797 healthcare and frontline workers received the second dose of vaccine.

Ten states -- Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra -- account for nearly 70 per cent of the vaccine doses given in a day.