E-Paper
India recorded close to 1 lakh Covid-19 cases in the last 5 days
The country has recorded 98,047 Covid-19 cases in March so far and on Friday clocked the highest daily infections at 23,285, data shows.
India, which experts say may be witnessing a second wave of the pandemic, has witnessed nearly 100,000 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the second week of March, data by the Union ministry of health and family welfare showed. The likely signs of the second wave are surfacing almost a year after India announced its first lockdown triggered by rising cases in March 2020.
The country has recorded 98,047 Covid-19 cases in March so far and on Friday clocked the highest daily infections at 23,285, data shows. The surge in cases is being reported in six states, including Maharashtra where authorities have announced a weeklong lockdown in the densely-populated Nagpur city next week and placed restrictions in other regions. Five states account for 82.96% of the total active cases in the country, and two severely affected states—Maharashtra and Kerala—account for 71.69% of India’s total active cases, according to the health ministry’s data.
According to the health ministry, eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases. These include Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana.
The 117 new fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours include 57 from Maharashtra, 18 from Punjab and 13 from Kerala. More than 82 per cent of casualties due to the virus have been traced to six states, the health ministry has pointed out. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (57), followed by Punjab with 18 daily deaths, Kerala (13), Tamil Nadu (5) and Andhra Pradesh (4). There have been 158,306 deaths so far in the country, including 52,667 from Maharashtra followed by 12,535 from Tamil Nadu, 12,381 from Karnataka, 10,934 from Delhi, 10,286 from West Bengal, 8,741 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,179 from Andhra Pradesh.
In a weekly press briefing, NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul on Thursday had expressed concern over the rise in active cases in a few states and said the trend was "worrisome", especially in Maharashtra. "Don't take this virus for granted. It can come up unexpectedly. If we have to remain free of this virus, Covid-appropriate behaviour, containment strategy as well as vaccination has to be brought in," he said.
Pointing at the states in the red, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "We think Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana are at a tipping point. They are yet to have a surge. But looking at early signs of an increase in numbers, we have had three meetings where the states have been told to increase the number of tests, surveillance, containment areas."
