As Covid cases shoot up, Centre in huddle with State Health Ministers

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting with health ministers of states and Union territories on Friday over rising COVID-19 across the country.

India's covid tally is steadily increasing over the last seven days. As in the past, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu are worst hit. Himachal Pradesh, the most vaccinated state, is witnessing a surprise increase, likely because it is a tourist hotspot.

India has logged 5,335 fresh coronavirus cases, the highest in 195 days, while the active cases have increased to 25,587, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday.

On September 23 last year, 5,383 cases were recorded in a single day.

The death toll has increased to 5,30,929 with 13 deaths -- two each reported from Karnataka and Maharashtra, one each from Kerala and Punjab, and seven reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.32 per cent while the weekly positivity rate has been pegged at 2.89 per cent, it said.

The total tally of Covid cases stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,39,054), according to the ministry.

The active cases now comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has been recorded at 98.75 per cent, according to the health ministry website.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,41,82,538, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.19 per cent.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

With PTI inputs