India reported more than 60,000 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day rise since October last year, taking the country's infection tally to 11,908,910. Overall, India recorded 62,258 new Covid-19 cases in the preceding 24 hours, the Union ministry of health and family welfare's (MoHFW) dashboard showed on Saturday morning.
Nearly 300 more lives were lost to the viral disease in this period, with 291 related fatalities taking the death toll to 161,240, the ministry’s dashboard showed. Recoveries rose to 11,295,023, with 30,386 more patients being discharged, though the recovery rate ‘dropped’ slightly to 94.85%. Active caseload, meanwhile, witnessed a rise of 31,581 fresh cases, reaching 452,647.
Active cases and deaths comprise 3.80% and 1.35% of the total national tally, as per the dashboard. In the previous 24-hour rise, India had recorded 59,118 new cases and 257 deaths.
Figures released by the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) show that it has tested nearly 240 million, or 239,769,553 samples for coronavirus thus far. This includes 1,164,915 samples tested by it on March 26.
The second wave of the pandemic in the western state of Maharashtra is turning out to be worse than the first wave. Over the last three days, the state has seen more than 30,000 new cases, with daily new tally being higher than the day before and the worst since the beginning of the pandemic, before being surpassed by cases on the next day. On Friday, Maharashtra recorded 36,902 fresh infections or 59.27% of total cases recorded nationally in the last 24 hours. The state also witnessed 112 deaths, taking its death toll to 53,907. Its capital city of Mumbai is also seeing record cases every day.
{{/usCountry}}The second wave of the pandemic in the western state of Maharashtra is turning out to be worse than the first wave. Over the last three days, the state has seen more than 30,000 new cases, with daily new tally being higher than the day before and the worst since the beginning of the pandemic, before being surpassed by cases on the next day. On Friday, Maharashtra recorded 36,902 fresh infections or 59.27% of total cases recorded nationally in the last 24 hours. The state also witnessed 112 deaths, taking its death toll to 53,907. Its capital city of Mumbai is also seeing record cases every day.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Maharashtra adds over 1.8 lakh new Covid cases in 6 days, night curfew from tomorrow | 10 points
Overall, Maharashtra’s infection tally stands at 2,637,735, the highest among all states and Union territories. Its active caseload, at282,451, is also the highest. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray chaired a high-level meeting on Friday after which it was announced that a night curfew will come into effect in the state from March 28 onwards.
Several states have also prohibited public celebrations of various upcoming festivals in view of the Covid-19 surge.