Punjab, Tamil Nadu report sharp rise in COVID-19 cases
A sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Punjab and Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours resulted in a drastic spike in the nationwide figures on Monday. India reported a total of 2,573 new cases of COVID-19 on May 4, taking the nationwide tally to 42,836.
A sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Punjab and Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours resulted in a drastic spike in the nationwide figures on Monday (May 4).
India reported a total of 2,573 new cases of COVID-19 on May 4, taking the nationwide tally to 42,836. The number of deaths reached 1,389 with 83 new fatalities being reported in the last 24 hours. This is the highest single-day spike for both the figures so far.
Meanwhile, with 1,074 new recoveries across the country on Monday, the highest in a day so far, the rate of recovery improved by half a per cent to 27.5 per cent. The death rate remains steady at 3.2 per cent.
Maharashtra added 678 new cases on Monday, taking its tally to 12,974. It was followed by Delhi and Gujarat with 427 and 372 new cases respectively. Punjab and Tamil Nadu, the new entrants in the list of five worst affected states, added 330 and 266 cases respectively.
The sudden spike in cases in Punjab can be attributed to the arrival of pilgrims from Nanded, Maharashtra. More than 3,500 stranded pilgrims returned to the state from Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded last week. The total number of cases in Punjab now stands at 1,102.
Gujarat, which reported 28 deaths on Monday, and Maharashtra, with 27 new deaths, account for more than half the deaths in the country due to COVID-19. Among other states that reported new deaths on Monday were Madhya Pradesh (9), Rajasthan (6) and Andhra Pradesh (3).
In terms of recovery, Rajasthan stood at the top with 235 patients recovering from the infection on Monday. Gujarat and Maharashtra followed next with 146 and 115 new recoveries respectively.
Interestingly, 12 states and union territories did not report any new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. This includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, and Puducherry.
