6 states reporting surge in daily Covid-19 cases account for 79.57% of new infections: Govt

Six states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh - continue to report a high surge in daily Covid-19 cases and account for 79.57 per cent of the new infections reported in a span of 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

India's total active cases have reached 4,52,647 and currently comprise 3.8 per cent of the country's total infections, it said.

The country saw 62,258 new cases being registered in the last 24 hours, the highest single day rise so far this year, according to the ministry.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 36,902 followed by Punjab (3,122) and Chhattisgarh (2,665), the ministry said.

Ten states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, it said.

A net incline of 31,581 cases was recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Read: With over 62,000 new Covid-19 cases, India sees highest jump in 5 months

Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 73 per cent of the total active cases in the country.

The total vaccination coverage in the country has crossed 5.8 crore, the ministry said.

More than 5.81 crore (5,81,09,773) vaccine doses have been administered through 9,45,168 sessions, according to the provisional report till 7 am.

These include 80,96,687 healthcare workers (first dose), 51,44,011 healthcare workers (second dose), 87,52,566 frontline workers (first dose) and 35,39,144 frontline workers (second Dose), 61,72,032 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific comorbidities (first dose) and 2,64,05,333 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

"India stands second in the world in terms of the number of vaccine doses administered (as on March 25, 2021)," the ministry said.

Eight states account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far in the country, it said.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have crossed the benchmark of 5 million vaccinations, the ministry said.

The average daily doses being administered show a steady increase, it highlighted.

India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,12,95,023 as on date with 30,386 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours, it said.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries with 17,019 newly recovered cases, while 291 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours.

Five states account for 75.6 per cent of the new deaths with Maharashtra recording the maximum casualties at 112 followed by Punjab (59).

Fourteen states and union territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

These are Assam, Odisha, Puducherry, Ladakh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Tripura,Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.