On lockdown anniversary, India records over 47K new Covid-19 infections; huge jump in active cases

The government announced on Tuesday that everyone above the age of 45 years can get themselves vaccinated from April 1. India crossed a significant milestone in the fight against Covid-19 when cumulative number of vaccine doses crossed five crore.

India recorded 47,262 new cases of the coronavirus disease in a timespan of 24 hours, according to Union health ministry update on Wednesday morning. This took the nationwide tally to 11,734,058, the data showed.

A healthcare worker takes a swab sample of a passenger for Covid-19 test at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, in Mumbai. (HT File Photo)

The country also recorded 275 related fatalities, its highest one-day toll this year. The fatality count pushed the death toll up to 1,60,441, the ministry data showed.

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu - which have reported a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases - are major contributors in the nationwide tally, the health ministry has said.

These states together account for 80.90 per cent of the new cases, according to the ministry.

India's total active caseload is rising after touching its lowest mark in mid-February. On Wednesday morning it stood at 23,080.

The government, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday that everyone above the age of 45 years can get themselves vaccinated from April 1 - heeding to the view of the experts who said that vaccination coverage has to be increased in the wake of the resurgence in the disease's numbers.

These include 79,03,068 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose and 50,09,252 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 83,33,713 frontline workers (FLWs) (1st dose), 30,60,060 FLWs (2nd dose), 2,12,03,700 beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 45,65,369 beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities.

Amid the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also issued new guidelines for effective control of the disease. The guidelines will be effective from April 1 to 30.