Maharashtra, Kerala records 53 per cent India's Covid cases

Maharashtra and Kerala recorded more than half of the COVID-19 cases registered in India last week, the Centre said today as it stressed that the pandemic is far from over and there is no room for complacency. The health ministry said that 14 districts in Kerala and 15 in Maharashtra are of concern. While Kerala contributed 32% of the total Covid-19 cases logged by the country last week, Maharashtra's contribution of 21% was the second-highest," Lav Agarwal, a joint secretary at the health ministry,said at a press conference on the current coronavirus pandemic situation in the country in New Delhi. The top five states which have registered the maximum number of Covid-19 cases are Kerala with 13,772 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 9,083 cases, Tamil Nadu with 3,211 cases, Andhra Pradesh with 2,982 cases and Assam with 2,644 cases on Friday. He further said that 80 per cent of the new Covid cases in India are reported from 90 districts in 15 states and union territories, which indicates the need for focussed attention in these areas.

He also informed that the daily new cases in the country continue to show a decline. There has been a decline of 8 per cent in average daily new cases in the last week, Lav Agarwal said. He added that 80 per cent of the new cases are from 90 districts. Reiterating the importance of following Covid precautions, the health ministry joint secretary mentioned how the virus has shown a resurgence in the United Kingdom, which hosted the Euro Cup Semi-finals with a sea of football fans enjoying the match flouting Covid norms. "We need to continue to take all precautions. The United Kingdom, Russia and Bangladesh have seen a resurgence of Covid-19 cases," he said. Agrawal said visuals from tourist spots and the way people are mingling without following Covid protocols is "a serious cause of concern" and that such negligence will increase the risk of virus spread. Joint secretary in the health ministry Lav Agarwal referred to recent spikes in cases in some countries, including Russia and the UK, to caution people against lowering their guard.