New Delhi: In an unabated surge that is putting the healthcare system of the country under immense strain, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic last year, India’s tally of active Covid-19 cases breached the 11-lakh mark on Sunday. The country added a record high of 1.52 lakh infections to its caseload in a single day.
India’s tally of active cases was highest at 10.17 lakh on September 18, 2020 and lowest at 1.35 lakh on February 12 of this year.
Scientists suspect the role of mutant strains and a hugely susceptible population behind the sharp surge in cases of infection.
With India vaccinating more than 10 crore people in 85 days, the Centre has now launched a ‘Tika Utsav’.
The government said more than 27 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines were administered on day-1 of the ‘Tika Utsav’.
Five states, namely Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, cumulatively account for 70.82 per cent of India’s active Covid-19 cases. In addition to Delhi, a total of 15 states are witnessing a sharp surge in cases of infection.
Several other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana have adopted measures ranging from closure of schools and restaurants to night curfews, weekend and local lockdowns. Restrictions on public and political gatherings have also been put in place in a number of states.
In Punjab, the government has asked private hospitals to defer elective surgeries till April 30. The cost of treatment of Covid-19 patients in private hospitals has also been capped in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the closure of all schools till April 30. During a meeting on Sunday, CM Yogi Adityanath directed officials to conduct at least one lakh RT-PCR tests daily. Orders have also been issued to restrict the entry of more than five persons to a place of worship keeping in mind the approaching festivals of Navratri and Ramzan.
Stringent measures such as statewide lockdowns are also being considered in Maharashtra and Delhi.
Maharashtra’s task force on Covid-19 advised CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday that a statewide lockdown is necessary to break the chain of transmission. A final decision in this regard will be taken after a meeting of the state cabinet.
