PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meet to review COVID situation

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a high-level meeting to review COVID-19 related situation in the country as India recorded 93,249 new cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since September 2020, taking the total tally to 1,24,85,509, sources said.

All senior officers including Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Principal Secretary to PM P.K. Mishra, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and Vinod Paul, NITI Aayog member and chairman of government's empowered group on COVID management are participating in the meeting.

The country has been recording an unabated spike in cases from over three weeks. Daily cases the country peaked on September 16, 2020, with 97,894 people testing positive for the virus in a single day.

The active cases have now increased to 6,91,597 comprising 5.54 per cent of the total infections, while a total 1,16,29,289 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours with the recovery rate reported to 93.14 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry reports.

The active caseload was the lowest at 1,35,926 on February 12 and comprised 1.25 per cent of the total infections.

Meanwhile, the death toll increased to 1,64,623 on Sunday with 513 new fatalities and the fatality rate was reported 1.32 per cent.

A total of 11,66,716 samples tested for COVID-19 as of Saturday taking the total sample tests so far 24,81,25,908.

The Centre has advised high-burden states and union territories to take stringent measures for containment of the surge. Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana are the states of grave concern.

So far, 7,59,79,651 doses of the corona vaccine have been administered in the country since the drive began on January 16 after approval for Covishield and Covaxin. On April 1, the third phase of the vaccination drive began under which anyone 45 or older is allowed to get a shot. (IANS)

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