New Delhi:
India added 89,129 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours amid a worrying spike in Covid cases that has prompted states like Maharashtra to consider shutting down. Today’s increase is the highest since September 20, when 92,605 cases were reported.
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The situation is of “grave concern” in Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Haryana, the Center said after a review meeting on Friday. These states and union territories account for 90 percent of the cases and deaths in the country, he said.
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Maharashtra, which has been hit hardest by COVID-19 so far, reported up to 47,827 new cases yesterday, its highest level since the pandemic spread to India in March 2020. The state capital, Mumbai, reported 8,648 cases in a 24 hour period, surpassing any previous height.
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The possibility of a shutdown in Maharashtra cannot be ruled out if the rise in coronavirus cases continues, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday. “People have become complacent. We are in a Catch 22 situation, should we consider the economy or health?” the Chief Minister said in a televised speech.
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Faced with an alarming increase in Covid cases, the Pune authorities have ordered a 12-hour night curfew starting at 6 pm today for a period of at least one week. Pune posted its highest single-day high of 9,086 cases on Friday, bringing its tally to 5.51,508.
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Delhi is also witnessing a worrying spike in cases, with the city registering 3,594 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the highest daily count this year.
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In Tamil Nadu, which will vote in the third phase of the state elections on April 6, 3,290 new cases were reported in one day, bringing the number of cases to 8.92,780. So far, 12,750 people have died from the virus in the southern state. The state saw the cases cross the 2,000 mark on March 27, the 1,000 mark on March 19 and then hit 1,087, according to a health bulletin.
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The situation is also grim in neighboring Karnataka. The state reported 4,991 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total count to 10,06,229.
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The country is witnessing a worrying increase in cases amid a vaccination campaign through which more than seven million people have been vaccinated so far.
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“88% of the deaths related to COVID in our country have occurred in the age group 45 years or older. Therefore, prioritizing vaccination for this age group is essential to prevent deaths related to COVID “said Dr. VK Paul, member (Health) NITI Aayog, said that when the country opened the vaccination campaign was expanded to include the age group.
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With 1.23 million rupees of infections, India has the third highest number of cases in the world after the United States and Brazil.
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