COVID-19 Update: 5 states record surge in cases

New Delhi, Mar 22: Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are reporting a surge in the COVID-19 daily cases and account for 80.5 per cent of the total new cases registered, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

India saw 46,951 new cases being registered in a day, the highest single day rise so far this year.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 30,535 (65.03 per cent). This is followed by Punjab with 2,644 while Kerala reported 1,875 new cases. Eight states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana are displaying an upward trajectory in the daily new COVID-19 cases, the ministry said.

India's total active caseload has increased to 3,34,646 comprising 2.87 per cent of India's total infections.

A net rise of 25,559 cases has been added to the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said.

The Daily Positivity Rate (7-day average) currently stands at 3.70 per cent, the ministry said.

Maharashtra has conducted 1,78,00,438 total tests and has a positivity rate of 13.93 per cent followed by Tamil Nadu which has conducted 1,78,13,593 tests and has a positivity rate of 4.87 per cent.

Haryana has so far tested 58,19,748 samples and has a positivity rate 4.81 per cent. Karnataka has tested 2,05,49,434 tests and has a positivity rate of 4.72 per cent.

Madhya Pradesh and Delhi has conducted 59,31,486 and 1,39,44,512 tests so far and both has a positivity rate of 4.65 per cent.

Eight States/UTs --Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Punjab, Puducherry, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana have a weekly positivity rate more than the national average of 3.7 per cent, the ministry highlighted.

The total vaccination coverage in India has crossed the 4.5-crore mark, it stated.

More than 4.50 crore (4,50,65,998) vaccine doses have been administered through 7,33,597 sessions, as per the provisional report till Monday 7 am.

These include 77,86,205 HCWs (1st dose), 48,81,954 HCWs (2nd dose), 80,95,711 FLWs (1st dose) and 26,09,742 FLWs (2nd Dose), 37,21,455 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities and 1,79,70,931 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years have also received the 1st dose.

As on day-65 of the vaccination drive (21st March), total 4,62,157 vaccine doses were given. As it was a Sunday, many states and UTs did not schedule vaccination sessions, the ministry said.

Out of which, 4,49,115 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 8,459 sessions for 1st dose and 13,042 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine.

India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,11,51,468 with 21,180 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours.

A total of 212 deaths have been reported in a day.

Six states account for 85.85 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (99). Punjab follows with 44 daily deaths and Kerala reported13 deaths in a span of 24 hours.

The Case Fatality Rate currently stands at 1.37 per cent and is continuously declining, the ministry said.

Fourteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Ladakh (UT), Daman and Diu & Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, A&N Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.