Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 34,87,229 comprising 16.87 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 82.03 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The strategy being used is to identify industrial units which produce gaseous oxygen of requisite purity, shortlist those which are closer to cities, dense areas and demand centres and establish temporary COVID care establishments with oxygenated beds near that source.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its stand on the plea by Shivleen Pasricha, a lawyer, who has claimed that for detection of COVID-19 amongst suspected/ probable patients, the most widely recommended test is RT-PCR.

“Along with paediatric covid care centre, another aspect we are now focussed on is to create a network of creches for those parents who may have to be in covid care centres and may not have support to look after their children, that aren’t infected by covid,” he added. He further said that Mumbai saw a massive spike last month and sustained it because of the constant increase in beds and facilities.

“It is common knowledge that a large number of medical, nursing and pharmacy students, who graduated in 2020 and would be in the process of graduating in 2021, would be available to augment the workforce in the health sector. The Central Government should, we feel, look into this aspect, and ensure the optimal manner of utilization of their services, regard being had, of course, to their safety and well-being,” it said.

The Central Government should also consider using health care workforce available with the armed forces and para military forces for the purpose of vaccination, it suggested.