Daily cases below 30K first time in 4 months

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 17

The country witnessed 29,163 new infections in the last 24 hours, the lowest in four months.

Kejri seeks powers to Shut red zone markets

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sought powers from the Centre to impose lockdown in markets in hotspot areas. He has also sent a proposal to allow only 50 people at weddings against earlier limit of 200.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 76.6 per cent of all active cases were in 10 states with Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi having the maximum load. He said the full impact of the festive season was “yet to play out” and there was no cause for complacency.

Meanwhile, the pandemic situation in Delhi remained grim with the Centre calling it “unsustainable and unprecedented”. The Capital reported 6,396 new cases and 99 deaths in the last 24 hours.

VK Paul, Member, Health, NITI Aayog, said the residents must fear this surge. “We are tired of repeating that people need to wear masks, avoid crowding and socialising and get tested. While the Centre has made arrangements on war footing to tackle the crisis, the onus is on people now,” Paul cautioned.

On vaccine front, he said though talks were on with foreign manufacturers, the government had high hopes of success in the five vaccine trials underway in the country.