New Delhi:
With 3,26,098 new COVID-19 cases and 3,53,299 recoveries, India recorded more recoveries than the fresh infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry's data on Saturday. The cumulative caseload touched 2,43,72,907 including 36,73,802 active cases and 2,04,32,898 total recoveries.
After 3,890 deaths in the last 24 hours, the toll due to the disease has gone up to 2,66,207. Karnataka has now emerged as the new COVID-19 hotspot with 5,98,625 active cases, the highest in the country, followed by Maharashtra with 5,21,683 active infections.
During the past week, the south Asian nation has added about 1.7 million new cases and more than 20,000 deaths.
The Union Health Ministry informed that the national recovery rate is 83.50 per cent.
For the fourth time in the last five days, India's daily COVID-19 recoveries outnumbered new cases, taking the total recoveries to 2,04,32,898, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.
The number of people who recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours was 3,53,299, while the number of new cases recorded in the same period was 3,26,098, according to ministry data updated at 8 am.
Cases have fallen steadily in states hit by an initial surge in infections, such as the richest state of Maharashtra and the northern state of Delhi, after they imposed stringent lockdowns.
But the eastern state of West Bengal, which held elections recently, experienced its biggest single-day spike, suggesting a fall in the overall caseload may take a while.
Infections in Modi's western home state of Gujarat fell below 10,000 after four straight weeks but officials warned against any relaxation in curbs until they return to levels seen before the breakout of India's second wave in mid-February.
The national recovery rate stands at 83.83 percent, it said.
''It (the daily recoveries) outnumbers India's daily new COVID-19 cases for the fourth time in the last five days. Ten states account for 70.49 percent of the new recoveries,'' the ministry said.
Ten states account for 85 per cent of the total novel coronavirus cases in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry said 11 states have over one lakh active COVID-19 cases while eight have active cases between 50,000 and one lakh.
Twenty-four states have a COVID-19 positivity rate of more than 15 per cent, it said.
The data showed that Maharashtra recorded the highest number of recoveries at 53,249 followed by Karnataka (35,879), Kerala (31,319), Uttar Pradesh (26,179), Tamil Nadu (20,037), Andhra Pradesh (19,177), West Bengal (19,131), Gujarat (15,365), Haryana (14,577) and Delhi (14,140).
12 States including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana cumulatively account for 79.7 per cent of India's total active cases, the ministry had said on Friday.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 31,30,17,193 samples have been tested in the country till May 14, out of which, 16,93,093 samples were tested yesterday. A total of 18,04,57,579 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far in the country.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will chair a high-level meeting on the country's coronavirus situation and the ongoing vaccination drive.
The meeting will begin at 11 am. Later in the day, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan will also interact with Health Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to review the current COVID-19 situation and progress of the vaccination drive in their respective states.
"At 3 PM today, I'll be holding a VC with Health Ministers of #UttarPradesh, #AndhraPradesh, #MadhyaPradesh & #Gujarat to review current #COVID19 situation & progress of #COVID19Vaccination drive in their respective States," he tweeted.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country would accelerate its vaccination programme, to try to contain a fast-spreading Indian variant that could knock off-track the re-opening of Britain's economy. read more
Johnson's comments came soon after India accepted a government panel's recommendation for a longer gap of 12 to 16 weeks between the first and second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, from six to eight weeks now.