COVID-19 cases surge in India: 6 states including Maharashtra, Kerala account for 87.25% of total active cases

New Delhi: Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have shown a surge in new COVID-19 cases, contributing to 87.25 percent of 15,510 fresh infections reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. India’s total number of active COVID-19 cases was recorded at 1,68,627, comprising 1.52 percent of the total infections, the ministry said highlighting five states that account for 84 percent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for 46.39 percent of India’s total active cases, followed by Kerala with 29.49 percent. “A total of 15 states and union territories have registered more than 1,000 active cases. Kerala and Maharashtra are the two states with over 10,000 active cases, while the rest of the 13 states and UTs have between 1,000-10,000 active cases,” the ministry said. The total number of cases with the UK, South Africa and Brazil variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the country as of date has reached 213, the ministry said. A total of 15,510 new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours. Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 8,293, followed by Kerala with 3,254 cases while Punjab has reported 579 new cases. The Centre is continuously engaging with the states and union territories manifesting a higher number of active cases and those reporting a rise in the daily new COVID-19 cases. States and UTs have been advised to maintain a continued rigorous vigil for containing the spread of COVID-19. The need for effective testing, comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation of positive cases and quick quarantine of close contacts are strongly emphasised, the ministry said. “Eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in the daily new cases,” it underlined. So far, a total of 1,43,01,266 vaccine doses have been administered to beneficiaries through 2,92,312 sessions. These include the first dose to 66,69,985 healthcare workers, the second dose to 24,56,191 healthcare workers and 51,75,090 frontline workers who have taken the first dose. “The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from today for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions. “A simplified process of registration has been set up, whereby potential beneficiaries can have the option of advance self-registration, on-site registration or facilitated cohort registration,” the ministry said. More than 1.07 crore (1,07,86,457) people have recovered so far with 11,288 patients having recuperated in a span of 24 hours. The ministry said 85.07 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in six states. Kerala has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 4,333 newly-recovered cases. A total of 3,753 people recovered in Maharashtra in the past 24 hours, followed by 490 in Tamil Nadu. Besides, 106 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours. Five states account for 86.79 percent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties of 62 deaths. Kerala followed with 15 daily deaths and Punjab has reported seven fatalities in a span of 24 hours. A total of 20 states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Assam, Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Ladakh (UT), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Uttarakhand and Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.