DM Monitoring
New Delhi: A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109. Active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death toll increased to 1,77,150 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% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62 per cent, the ministry said.
Across the country, crippling shortage of hospital beds, essential treatment aids and medicines is being reported. In bigger cities, the waiting time at crematoria and burial grounds has grown, amidst questions of discrepancies between the official number of deaths and those visible on the ground.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting today to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi. On Saturday, The Wire had reported on the dire and mounting COVID-19 situation at Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,28,09,643, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.20%, the government has stated.
Opposition parties have questioned the effectiveness of the government’s response, calling it severely delayed. Amidst the surge in numbers, a huge congregation at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar – which Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked yesterday to be limited to symbolic participation – coupled with elections in West Bengal involving campaign rallies, are ongoing.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said he tried to discuss the oxygen supply issue with Narendra Modi on the phone but was told that the prime minister was busy campaigning for the West Bengal elections.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 26,65,38,416 samples have been tested up to April 17 with 15,66,394 samples being tested on Saturday.
