Second-biggest single-day spike takes Covid-19 cases in India to over 1.1 lakh

The Union Health Ministry had said on Wednesday that the recovery rate among those having tested positive for Covid-19 has risen to nearly 40 per cent.

The nationwide Covid-19 tally crossed 1.1 lakh on Thursday with 5,609 new cases getting detected in the last 24 hours. This is the second-biggest single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

A policeman controls migrants who were waiting along with their families at a government school to get screened before boarding buses for their native places, during ongoing Covid-19 lockdown, in New Delhi on Wednesday.(PTI Photo)

According to the Union health ministry update at 8 am, the total number of cases in the country are 1,12,359. Out of these, the number of active cases are 63,624, those recovered are 45,299. As many as 3,435 people have died in total, the ministry said.

The Union Health Ministry had said on Wednesday that the recovery rate among those having tested positive for Covid-19 has risen to nearly 40 per cent, from about seven per cent before the lockdown began on March 25. It also said that hospital support was needed by less than 7 per cent patients.

On Wednesday, the number of cases across the country rose by more than 5,600, the country’s biggest single-day jump, to reach 1,06,750.

The health ministry said on Wednesday that the Covid-19 death toll has risen to 3,303 after 140 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours (between Tuesday and Wednesday).

The number of coronavirus disease cases have doubled in nearly two weeks - up from 49,391 on May 6 to 1,06,139 on Wednesday in the fourth phase of the lockdown.

The nationwide lockdown was initially imposed for a 21-day period till April 14, but later got extended till May 3 in the second phase and then for another 14-day third phase till May 17. A two-week-long fourth phase is now underway till May 31, but with several restrictions having been relaxed to boost economic activities.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that domestic flights will resume in a calibrated manner from May 25, two months after the services were shut due to the coronavirus.

The Union Home Ministry also said later in the night that domestic air travel has been removed from the list of prohibited activities during the lockdown.