Coronavirus cases in India maintained the upward trend on Saturday, as the country reported 1,45,384 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed. The country’s overall count of infections rose to 1,32,05,926 since the pandemic broke out last March. The toll went up to 1,68,436, with 794 more fatalities in the last 24 hours.
The active caseload went past the 10 lakh-mark and stood at 10,46,631. The number of active cases in the country is now at its highest level since the outbreak of pandemic, according to the Hindustan Times.
The number of single-day cases has now hit record highs for three successive days, and has gone past the one lakh-mark on five of the last six days.
The consistent rise in cases has coincided with multiple states flagging concerns of vaccine shortages. At least seven states – Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana – have closed vaccination centres over the past few days because of the crunch.
Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will hold a meeting on Saturday, with chief ministers of states ruled by the party, NDTV reported. The meeting will be held to review coronavirus situation in these states. Party MP Rahul Gandhi will also attend the meeting.
State updates
- Maharashtra entered its first weekend lockdown on Friday evening. The fresh set of restrictions, which included the weekend lockdown and a night curfew, was announced last Sunday. Meanwhile, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope and Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar have said that a full lockdown might be implemented if the case continue to rise. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will hold an all-party meeting on the situation on Saturday, according to The Indian Express.
- In Madhya Pradesh too, the weekend restrictions came into effect from Friday evening. All urban areas of the state will remain under a lockdown from 6 pm on Friday till 6 am on Monday.
- Restaurant owners in Bengaluru on Saturday urged the state government to reconsider the timing of the night curfew that will come into effect from April 10, NDTV reported. Currently, the restaurants need to be closed by 10 pm, according to government orders.
Global scenario
- Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 13.45 crore people and killed 29,14,590, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 7.64 crore people have recovered from the infection.
- Europe’s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency on Friday said that it was reviewing rare blood clots in four people in the United States who received Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine.
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