Covid-19 LIVE: Over 68,500 new cases in Maharashtra, another record spike

Coronavirus live updates: Modi asks civil servants to press entire national capacity for vaccine production as daily cases and deaths rise. Stay tuned for news on Covid-19

Coronavirus live updates: India on Sunday reported 2,61,500 new Covid-19 cases and 1,501 deaths from the disease, according to health ministry data marking the worst ever daily spike. 

The country has 1,47,88,109 cases in total and 1,77,150 fatalities. India’s second wave of Covid-19 infections is "spreading at a much faster rate", said the health minister on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked officials on Saturday to use the pharmaceutical industry to meet the demand for medicines, especially remdesivir. He chaired a meeting with senior civil servants from various ministries to review the Covid-19 situation and vaccination drive.
 

World coronavirus update: Coronavirus cases rise across the globe with 18,368,937 infected, according to worldometers.info website. As many as 119,923,164 people have recovered from the disease and 3,023,911  have died. The US remains the worst-hit country with 32,372,119, followed by India, Brazil, France and Russia. 

2:54 AM

Maharashtra: Negative RT-PCR report must for train passengers from 6 states

Train passengers from Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttarakhand will now require a negative RT-PCR test report to travel to Maharashtra. The test needs to be taken at least 48 hours before travel.

 

The Maharashtra government has categorised these six states as 'places of sensitive origin' in view of surge in Covid-19 cases. A new SOP is being put in place for travel in long-distance trains from these states to contain the spread of infection.

 

"All passengers shall be compulsorily screened and only asymptomatic passengers shall be allowed to board the trains for Maharashtra. Social distancing should be ensured during boarding/deboarding and travel," Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte said in an order on Sunday. Read more

2:53 AM

India records highest single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus cases

A record single-day rise of 261,500 coronavirus infections has taken India’s total tally of Covid-19 cases to 14,788,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

 

The death toll increased to 177,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

 

 

Registering a steady increase for the 39th day in a row, the active cases stand at 18,01,316, comprising 12.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62 per cent, the ministry said.

 

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 12,809,643, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.20 per cent, the data stated.

 

India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed 2,000,000 on August 7, 3,000,000 on August 23, 4,000,000 on September 5 and 5,000,000 on September 16. Read more

2:52 AM

Chhattisgarh reports 12,345 fresh Covid-19 cases

8:55 PM

Maharashtra records biggest single-day rise of 68,631 new Covid-19 cases

As many as 68,631 fresh COVID-19 cases and 503 deaths were reported from Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the highest in the state so far since the pandemic broke out last year.

 

With this, the total number of active cases in the state now stands at 6,70,388, the state health department informed.

 

So far, as many as 31,06,828 recoveries and 60,473 deaths have been reported. Out of the total fresh cases, 8,479 were reported from Mumbai. 53 lives were claimed by the virus in the city in the last 24 hours. There are 87,698 active cases in Mumbai while the death toll stands at 12,347.

8:37 PM

Tamil Nadu imposes night curfew from April 20 amid Covid-19 surge

Witnessing the surge in the COVID-19 cases in the state, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday imposed a night curfew between 10 pm to 4 am which will come into effect from April 20. Sunday curfew will be implemented from April 25.

 

According to a statement issued by the state government, no public or private transport will be allowed during night curfew. Intra-state and inter-state public and private transport too will not be operated.

 

The state government has also postponed the class 12 board exams amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, however, the practical exams will be conducted as already planned.

 

8:33 PM

Covid-19 LIVE: Over 68,500 new cases in Maharashtra, another record spike

8:23 PM

West Bengal registers record 8,419 new Covid-19 cases, 28 fresh fatalities

The COVID-19 caseload of West Bengal, where an eight-phase assembly election is underway, soared to 6,59,927 as the state registered its highest single-day spike of 8,419 fresh infections on Sunday, a health bulletin said.

 

Twenty-eight fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 10,568, it said.

 

Kolkata reported the highest number of new cases at 2,197, followed by 1,860 in neighbouring North 24 Parganas district. North 24 Parganas registered six fresh fatalities, followed by five in Kolkata.

8:19 PM

Tamil Nadu's daily coronavirus tally crosses 10,000-mark

Tamil Nadu on Sunday recorded an all time high in daily COVID-19 cases by adding 10,723 more infections, pushing the total caseload to 9.91 lakh. The toll mounted to 13,113 with 42 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

 

According to a medical bulletin, total recoveries climbed to 9,07,947 with 5,925 patients being discharged, leaving 70,391 active infections. Testing of samples stood at 1,10,130, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 2.11 crore so far.

8:13 PM

Delhi records biggest single day spike of over 25,000 fresh Covid-19 infections

The national capital on Sunday reported over 25,000 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest in a single day since the pandemic broke out last year. As per the Delhi health department, 25,462 COVID-19 cases and 161 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total active cases in Delhi to 74,941.

 

The total positive cases in the city now stand at 8,53,460, including 7,66,398 recoveries and 12,121 deaths. As many as 85,620 samples were tested for the virus, including 56,015 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNath tests and 29,605 Rapid antigen tests. The tests per million stand at 8,54,105.

7:53 PM

8,479 new coronavirus cases, 53 deaths in last 24 hours in Mumbai; 1,188 buildings sealed so far

8,479 new coronavirus cases, 53 deaths in last 24 hours in Mumbai; 1,188 buildings sealed so far.

7:53 PM

1,526 new coronavirus cases recorded in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday recorded 1,526 new coronavirus cases, including of 226 travellers, taking the total of infected people to 1,46,692, even as six fresh deaths in the past 24 hours took the toll to 2,057, officials said.

 

Out of the fresh cases, 547 were from the Jammu division and 979 from the Kashmir division of the union territory, they said.

 

The officials said Srinagar district recorded the highest of 520 cases, including of 63 travellers, followed by 299 cases in Jammu district and 122 in Baramulla district.

7:52 PM

Gujarat reports 10,340 fresh coronavirus cases and 110 deaths in the last 24 hours

Gujarat reports 10,340 fresh coronavirus cases, 3,981 recoveries, and 110 deaths in the last 24 hours

7:36 PM

Delhi reports 25,462 fresh Covid-19 cases and 161 deaths in the past 24 hours

7:30 PM

8,690 fresh cases of Covid-19 in Bihar in the past 24 hours: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

8,690 fresh cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Bihar in the past 24 hours: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

7:27 PM

Delhi is facing acute shortage of oxygen: CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi is facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Delhi needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi’s quota has been diverted to other states: CM Arvind Kejriwal.