India:24,882 fresh Covid cases, 20 lakh jabs, highest so far

Amid rising Corona cases, more than 20 lakh vaccine doses against the coronavirus were administered across the country, the previous day, the highest single-day count so far. India added 24,882 fresh COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours - the highest daily rise in the last 83 days - taking its tally to 1.13 crore cases. The health ministry data on Saturday says that "India recorded a significant milestone in its countrywide COVID19 vaccination drive which started on January 16. More than 20 lakh (20,53,537) vaccine doses were given on Day-56 of the vaccination drive (March 12) through 30,561 sessions."

A total of more than 2.82 crore (2,82,18,457) vaccine doses have been administered through 4,86,314 sessions, as per the provisional report."These include 72,93,575 HCWs (1st dose), 41,94,030 HCWs (2nd dose), 72,35,745 FLWs (1st dose) and 9,48,923 FLWs (2nd dose), 12,54,468 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st dose) and 72,91,716 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years," it said. Eight states constituted 74 per cent of the 20.54 lakh doses administered in the past 24 hours, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with more than 3.3 lakh vaccine doses.Ten states account for 69 per cent of the second dose vaccinations in India and Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 9.71 per cent -- 4,99,242 -- of the total second dose vaccinations in the country, the ministry said.

The number of fresh infections is nearly seven per cent higher than Friday, when the country registered 23,285 cases. Overall, India has now recorded 1,13,33,728 cases since the outbreak a year ago, the ministry said. In the 24-hour period, India reported 140 deaths linked to the virus taking the total number of fatalities to 1,58,446.The country's active caseload has reached 2,02,022, which constitutes 1.74 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate dropped to 96.82 per cent. Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh reported 87.72 per cent of the new cases in the last 24 hours, with Maharashtra accounting for 63.57 per cent of India's total active cases. Maharashtra and Kerala- account for 71.69 per cent of India's total active cases," the Health Ministry said. Twenty states and Union territories have less than 1,000 active cases, the ministry said and 18 of states/Union territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours.