India's Covid-19 tally surges past 12.5 million; active cases over 700,000

The active cases of Covid-19 crossed the 700,000 and surged to 741,830, registering a steady increase for the 26th day in a row.

India reported 103,558 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 478 related fatalities in the last 24 hours, which have pushed the country's infection tally to 12,589,067 and the death toll to 165,101, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare said on Monday morning. On Sunday, there were 93,249 new coronavirus disease cases and 513 fatalities. The active cases of Covid-19 crossed the 700,000 and surged to 741,830, registering a steady increase for the 26th day in a row, the health ministry's dashboard showed at 8am. The active caseload was at its lowest at 135,926 on February 12. With 52,847 patients cured of Covid-19, recoveries have risen to 11,682,136 and the recovery rate stands at 92.79 per cent, the data showed.

With 52,847 patients cured of Covid-19, recoveries have risen to 11,682,136 and the recovery rate stands at 92.79 per cent, the data showed. (PTI Photo )

Official data shows that Maharashtra, which has clamped new restrictions to arrest the rising infections, and Punjab are the two worst-hit states in terms of their share in the total number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths across the country in the last fortnight. Maharashtra added 426,108 Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks as of March 31 and Punjab added 35,754 cases in the same period. The growth rate of the last seven days for daily new cases till March 23 in Maharashtra was 3.6 per cent and in Punjab, it was 3.2 per cent. Maharashtra has added 4,26,108 cases in the last two weeks as of March 31, while Punjab has added 35,754 cases in the same period. Maharashtra and Punjab together reported around 60 per cent of India's fatalities of all deaths reported during these two weeks.

The health ministry has said 11 states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana - have been categorised as "states of grave concern" on account of their high and rising daily Covid-19 cases and higher daily deaths.

(With agency inputs)