India reports 1,68,063 new Covid cases, 277 deaths in the last 24 hours
Highlights
- India reports 1,68,063 new Covid cases, 277 deaths in last 24 hours
- The total caseload in the country rises to 3,58,75,790
- The active cases now stands at 8,21,446
India on Tuesday registered 1,68,063 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 6.5 per cent lower than yesterday, according to data by the Union Health Ministry. With this, the total caseload in the country rose to 3,58,75,790. On Monday, India had reported 1,79,723 new Covid-19 cases and 146 deaths.
In the last 24 hours, 277 deaths were reported in the country, increasing the total reported death count to 4,84,213. Maximum casualties were reported in Kerala (166), followed by Delhi with 17 daily deaths.
Maharashtra tops the list with 33,470 cases, followed by West Bengal with 19,286 cases, Delhi with 19,166 cases, Tamil Nadu with 13,990 cases and Karnataka with 11,698 cases.
According to Union Health Ministry, 58.08 per cent of the new cases are reported from these five states, with Maharashtra alone responsible for 19.92 per cent of the new cases.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday said five to 10 per cent of the active cases in the current surge so far needed hospitalisation but the situation is dynamic and may change rapidly, and cautioned states against any "lapses" in their preparedness.
The Centre sounded a note of caution on a day when the country began administering a "precautionary" dose against the viral infection. Around 9.3 lakh healthcare and frontline workers, and 60-plus citizens with comorbidities received their third jab, the Union Health Ministry said.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), meanwhile, came out with a new advisory that contacts of confirmed COVID cases do not need to get tested unless identified as "high risk" based on age or comorbidities.
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