India crosses 11 lakh active cases for first time: Health Ministry

India continues to reel under the second wave of the pandemic, as its active COVID-19 cases breached the 11-lakh mark for the first time on April 11.

India’s total active caseload has increased to 11,08,087 and it now comprises 8.29% of the country’s total infections, said the Union Health Ministry. Moreover, a net increase of 61,456 cases has been recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Five states – Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala- lead in the number of COVID-19 cases, cumulatively accounting for 70.82% of India’s active cases.

Out of the five states, Maharashtra occupies the top slot as it alone accounts for a big chunk of 48.57% of the total active caseload of the country, said the Ministry. Ten states meanwhile are registering a steep rise in the daily new COVID-19 cases and they are Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Ministry pointed out that these states accounted for 80.92% of the new infections reported in a span of 24 hours.

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India’s daily new cases continue to rise, the ministry said as 1,52,879 new cases of coronavirus infections were registered in a span of 24 hours, the highest single-day rise so far.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 55,411, followed by Chhattisgarh with 14,098, while Uttar Pradesh has reported 12,748 new cases.

The active caseload was at its lowest at 1,35,926 on February 12 and at its highest at 10,17,754 on September 18, 2020. India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,20,81,443 with 90,584 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours, while worryingly, daily deaths continue to show an upward trend with 839 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours.

Ten states account for 86.41% of the new deaths, the Ministry said. Maharashtra had the maximum casualties with 309 deaths, while Chhattisgarh was the next highest with 123 daily deaths.

Some states and UTs however have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours such as Daman & Diu, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

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Meanwhile, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 10 crore, the ministry said. Eight states account for 60.27% of the total doses given so far in the country. In a 24-hour span, 35 lakh vaccination doses were administered and as on Day-85 of the vaccination drive (April 10), 35,19,987 vaccine doses have been given. “In terms of the number of daily doses administered globally, India continues to remain at the top with an average of 38,34,574 doses administered per day,” said the Ministry.

In the midst of a clamour in many states that they are running short of the Covid vaccine, the ‘Tika Utsav‘ or vaccine festival kick-started in the country from April 11. Aimed at inoculating the maximum number of eligible people against the coronavirus due to the surge in cases, this mass vaccination programme will continue till April 14. It is the outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the chief ministers of all states and union territories during a meeting over the coronavirus situation.

Several states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have ramped up their efforts to double inoculations during the four-day programme. In Uttar Pradesh, the ‘Tika Utsav’ will start with 6,000 vaccination centres, while neighbouring Bihar is likely to vaccinate four lakh people during this period.

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This drive is also taking off as states like Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have warned that their vaccine stocks are fast depleting. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also flagged the vaccine shortage issue, stating that the national capital had between seven and 10 days of stock left.

As curb the spread of the virus, several states and Union Territories are now  implementing weekend lockdowns, night curfews and a slew of other restrictions to control the spread of the virus. Maharashtra which may head for a 15-day lockdown has already imposed weekend lockdowns and daily night curfews from 8 pm to 7 am.

Cinemas, multiplexes, theatres, video parlours, clubs, swimming pools, sports complexes, auditoriums, water parks, salons, beauty parlours and spas will remain closed till April 30.

The Chhattisgarh government has announced a total lockdown in eight districts while Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat and Karnataka have all imposed night curfews.