Covid-19 update: India records biggest spike in new cases in over 100 days
1 min read . Updated: 18 Mar 2021, 09:43 AM IST
Premium- A total of 17,741 people recuperated in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,10,63,025
- The fatalities due to the disease have increased to 1,59,216
As many as 35,871 more people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,14,74,605, according to the Union health ministry said on Thursday.
This is the biggest spike in daily new cases in over a hundred days.
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The fatalities due to the disease have increased to 1,59,216, with 172 more people losing their lives in the last 24 hours.
A total of 17,741 people recuperated in the same duration, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,10,63,025.
In addition to this, there are 2,52,364 active cases in the country currently. The number was 2,34,406 on Wednesday. The tally crossed the 2-lakh mark on Saturday.
Second wave?
After seeing fewer than 15,000 new cases daily for most of January and the first half of February, fresh cases of coronavirus have surged over the last two weeks, especially in Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Maharashtra continues to be the biggest contributor in daily new cases across the country. The state on Wednesday saw 23,179 fresh infections, taking the tally to 23,70,507.
Raising concern over the surge in novel coronavirus cases in the country, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said 60% of all active cases are concentrated in Maharashtra.
Experts have warned that the second wave of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra may be linked to previously uninfected people stepping out after almost a year at home and, if not contained, could lead to more states being hit by similar waves.
India's Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August last year, 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.
Vaccinations in India
The country has so far administered 3,71,43,255 doses of anti-Covid jabs to people.
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.
