India reports 1,000 Covid deaths on third consecutive day

On Thursday, the country saw the biggest spike in the number of Covid-19 cases reported in a single day so far, with 76,870 samples testing positive for the viral disease

Updated on: Aug 28, 2020, 08:36:03 IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By Rhythma Kaul

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India reported around a 1,000 new deaths for the third consecutive day on Thursday, taking the total number of patients that has succumbed to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) so far in the country to 61,690.

The first death in India was reported on March 12.

On Thursday, the country saw the biggest spike in the number of Covid-19 cases reported in a single day so far, with 76,870 samples testing positive for the viral disease. It was also the second consecutive day that the country reported at least 75,000 new cases.

Maharashtra continues to report the maximum number of Covid-19-related deaths in the country, with 355 deaths on Thursday alone, taking the total number of deaths in the state to 23,444.

Also Read: Covid-19: What you need to know today

Another extremely affected state in terms of death toll is Tamil Nadu, with 6,948 cumulative deaths reported so far, and 109 new deaths reported in a single day. Karnataka reported the second-highest (141) new deaths, taking the death toll in the state to 5,232.

Maharashtra also has the maximum of Covid-19 positive cases in the country as 14,857 people tested positive in the state on Thursday.

Andhra Pradesh is a close second with 10,621 cases reported in a single day, followed by Karnataka with 9,386 cases.

Also Read: Battle shifting as Covid-19 threat stalks rural India

As the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths is not going down, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday directed states to focus on districts reporting a high case fatality, and the urgent need for them to refine as well as strengthen approach and strategies relating to testing, contact-tracing, surveillance, containment, home isolation, availability of ambulances, hospital beds, oxygen, treatment protocols, etc.

“There are some states with certain districts that are not performing well; there is a need to look into specific problems of those districts to be able to better contain the disease spread,” said a senior health ministry official, requesting not to be identified.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rhythma Kaul
Rhythma Kaul is the national health editor of the Hindustan Times. She has been reporting on public health, medicine, and medical research, with a particular focus on how government decisions and health system reforms shape people’s lives. Rhythma has over 25 years of journalistic experience. She joined Hindustan Times in 2008, and has since covered everything from pandemics and infectious diseases to cutting‑edge medical research and climate‑related health challenges. Her stories routinely track the work of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, department of pharmaceuticals, and key national health programmes, making complex medical science and policy accessible to a wide audience. One of her prominent news breaks has been the 2012 Baby Falak case: A two-year-old brutally battered baby girl was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi with severe head injuries, multiple fractures, human bite marks, and burns. The police investigation revealed this to be a case of multi-state human-trafficking racket. She was profiled by The Wall Street Journal for breaking this story. Rhythma holds a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. Prior to Hindustan Times, she worked with the India Today Group. Rhythma can be contacted at rhythma.kaul@hindustantimes.com. Her X handle is @RamblingBrook.Read More

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