India sees rise in COVID-19 active cases; Punjab, J-K witness surge

New Delhi, February 21

India has been witnessing a rise in the COVID-19 active cases over the past few days which is pegged at 1,45,634 comprising 1.32 per cent of the country’s total infections, the Union Health Ministry said.

According to the ministry, 22 states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 death in a span of 24 hours.

More than 74 per cent of the active cases of the country are in Kerala and Maharashtra.

“Of late, it is seen that there has been a spike in the daily cases in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh also. Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir too are witnessing a surge in daily new cases,” the ministry said.

It said 85.61 per cent of the new cases are from five states. Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,281. It is followed by Kerala with 4,650 while Karnataka reported 490 new cases.

Only two states—Maharashtra and Kerala—account for 77 per cent of daily new cases reported in a span of 24 hours.

Twenty-two states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 death in a span of  24 hours, the ministry said.

These are Gujarat, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Assam, Meghalaya, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Ladakh, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Ninety deaths were reported in a day, the ministry said, adding that five states account for 80 per cent of the new deaths.

Maharashtra saw a maximum of 40 casualties. Kerala reported 13 deaths, while Punjab has reported another eight fatalities.

In a span of 24 hours, only one state has reported more than 20 deaths, while 10 to 20 deaths have been reported by just one state.

Further, six to 10 deaths have been reported by two states and 10 states have reported one to five deaths, the ministry said.

A total of 1.06 crore (1,06,89,715) people have recovered so far with 11,667 patients been discharged in a span of 24 hours.

“India’s COVID-19 recovery rate at 97.25 per cent is among the highest in the world,” the ministry said.

It further said that 81.65 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in five states.

Kerala has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 5,841 newly recovered cases. A total of 2,567 people recovered in Maharashtra in a span of 24 hours followed by 459 in Tamil Nadu.

On the front of the COVID-19 vaccination, India’s cumulative vaccination coverage has crossed 1.10 crore.

Till February 21, a total of 1,10,85,173 vaccine doses have been administered through 2,30,888 sessions, as per the provisional report till 8 am.

These include 63,91,544 healthcare workers (first dose), 9,60,642 healthcare workers (2nd dose) and 37,32,987 frontline workers (first dose).

The second dose of COVID19 vaccination started on February 13 for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose.

Vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

As on day-36 of the vaccination drive, a total of 4,32,931 vaccine doses were administered. Out of which, 2,56,488 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 8,575 sessions for 1st dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 1,76,443 HCWs received a second dose of vaccine.

The ministry said 60.04 per cent of those who have received the second dose are concentrated in seven states. Karnataka alone accounts for 11.81 per cent (1,13,430 doses). —PTI

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