Covid-19 update: India reports close to 60,000 new cases, biggest jump in five months
The country breached the four-lakh active cases mark. This is the fastest one-lakh increase in the tally since Covid-19 broke out in the country
As many as 59,118 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally to 1,18,46,652, said the Union health ministry on Friday morning.
This is the biggest spike in new infections recorded in the country this year and the highest in over five months. India had last seen around 55,000 new cases on 18 October last year.
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Six states -- Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat -- have reported a surge in new infections and accounted for 80.63% of the cases yesterday.
Among these, Maharashtra continues to be the biggest contributor to daily tally of the country as the state clocked in 35,952 fresh infections in the last 24 hours.
In addition to this, the death toll in the country has reached 1,60,949 with 257 more people succumbing to the disease in the same duration.
As many as 32,987 recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,12,64,637.
As a result, the active cases in the country stand at 4,21,066, breaching the four-lakh mark. This is the fastest one-lakh increase in the tally since Covid-19 broke out in the country.
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India had crossed the three-lakh mark of active tally on Sunday.
The number was 3,95,192 on Thursday while it stood at 3,68,457 on Wednesday.
India's Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh mark on 7 August, 30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5 September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December.
Tests conducted so far
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 23,75,03,882 samples have been tested till 24 March, with 10,65,021 samples tested on Wednesday.
Vaccinations in India
The country has so far administered 5,55,04,440 anti-Covid shots. The five-crore mark in vaccination was crossed on 23 March.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on 16 January with healthcare workers getting inoculated and vaccination of the frontline workers started from 2 February.
The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced on 1 March for those who are above 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.
Further expanding the gamut of the inoculation drive, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday announced that everyone above the age of 45 years can get themselves vaccinated from 1 April.
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