Six states account for 78.56% of 56,211 new COVID-19 cases in India, says health ministry

New Delhi: Six states, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, have reported a high number of daily COVID-19 cases and account for 78.56 percent of the 56,211 fresh cases recorded in the country in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. India’s COVID-19 tally has climbed to 1,20,95,855, while 271 more fatalities have pushed the toll to 1,62,114, according to the ministry’s date updated at 8 am. Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, continue to report a high surge in daily cases accounting for 78.56 percent of the new infections reported in a span of 24 hours, it said. The ministry said that Maharashtra reported the highest number of daily cases at 31,643. It is followed by Punjab with 2,868 cases and Karnataka with 2,792 cases. Ten states — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Haryana and Rajasthan — are displaying an upward trajectory in daily cases, it said. India’s total active cases reached 5,40,720 with a net rise of 18,912 cases in a span of 24 hours. “Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh cumulatively account for 79.64 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra leads with more than 62 percent of the active caseload of the country,” the ministry said. On the national inoculation drive against COVID-19, it said more than 6.11 crore (6,11,13,354) vaccine doses have been administered through 10,07,091 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am. These include 81,74,916 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 51,88,747 HCWs who have taken the second dose, and 89,44,742 frontline workers (FLWs) who have received the first dose, and 37,11,221 FLWs who have taken the second dose, it said. The ministry said besides them, 68,72,483 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years with specific co-morbidities have received the first dose and 405 the second dose. In the category of beneficiaries aged more than 60 years, 2,82,19,257 have got the first dose and 1,583 the second dose, it said. On 29 March, which was day-73 of the national vaccination drive, a total of 5,82,919 vaccine doses were given. Out of these, 5,51,164 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 14,608 sessions for the first dose and 31,755 beneficiaries received the second dose. India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,13,93,021 with 37,028 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said.