India saw the highest number of coronavirus cases in six months in the last 24 hours. The country recorded 89,129 new coronavirus cases and 714 deaths in the past day, as mentioned by the Union Health Ministry. There have been as many as 44,202 discharges in the same period.
India currently has 6,58,909 active cases, taking the cumulative case tally to over 1.23 crore. As many as 1.15 crore people overall have recovered from coronavirus in the country, while the COVID-19 death toll has reached 1,64,110.
The Indian Council of Medical Research stated that 24,69,59,192 samples have been tested so far, including 10 lakh samples that were tested on Friday.
While cases are on the rise, the vaccination drive is also undergoing in full force. More than 7.3 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, out of which 31 lakh doses were administered in the last 24 hours. India started the third phase of the vaccination drive on April 1. Everyone above the age of 45 years is now eligible for the vaccine.
Meanwhile, several states have tightened restrictions as cases continue to surge. Karnataka became the latest state to impose new restrictions such as capping capacity at cinema halls, pubs, bars, restaurants at 50 per cent, disallowing in-person classes for students from Class 6-9, and closing gyms and swimming pools.
Maharashtra that has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country is now staring at a possible lockdown. CM Uddhav Thackeray said that strict restriction, and even a lockdown, could be imposed if the situation persists.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that while it might be the second wave for the country, Delhi is witnessing the fourth wave. "For the rest of the country, one may call it the second wave. But for Delhi, this is the fourth wave. We are heading towards the fourth peak. This wave is witnessing exponential increase in cases and spreading very fast. It is concerning but there is nothing to panic because this wave is also less severe in terms of number of deaths and cases that require hospitalisation, admission to ICU, etc," he said at a news briefing.
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