India records 28,903 Covid-19 cases in highest daily spike this year; active cases soar

Surging for a week now, India's active cases rose to 234,406, which now accounts for 2.05% of the country's total cases, the health ministry said. The active cases rose sharply by 10,974 on Wednesday, data showed.

India on Wednesday recorded 28,903 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the last 24 hours, adding to the cumulative tally which now stands as 11,438,734, the Union health ministry said.

People wearing protective masks walk on a platform at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in Mumbai, India, March 16, 2021. (Reuters)

This is the highest daily spike seen in the country so far this year.

The country also saw 188 deaths from the viral disease in the said timespan, pushing the fatality toll to 159,044, the health ministry data updated at 8am showed. This is a sharp rise from 131 deaths recorded on Tuesday.

Surging for a week now, India's active cases rose to 234,406, which now accounts for 2.05% of the country's total cases, the health ministry said. The active cases rose sharply by 10,974 on Wednesday, data showed.

India's rising tally, which experts point out could be due to an ongoing second wave underlined by an increase in positivity rate and active cases, is being driven by five states which account for almost 80% of the daily new cases being reported. These five states are Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, health ministry had said on Tuesday.

Three states - Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab - cumulatively account for 76.57% of India’s total active cases.

Eight states, the health ministry said, are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases. These are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at 11,045,284, according to the health ministry.

Scaling up the fight against the viral contagion on a massive scale, India has concentrated efforts on vaccination. More than 3.50 crore vaccine doses were administered in the country till Tuesday evening from January 16, when the nationwide drive started.

A total of 3,50,64,536 vaccine doses have been given to people in the country, health ministry data updated at 8am on Wednesday showed.