New Delhi, March 3

Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report a surge in fresh COVID-19 cases, and they account for 85.95 per cent of the cases reported in a span of 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry said that 14,989 new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 7,863. It is followed by Kerala with 2,938, while Punjab reported 729 new cases.

“Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Karnataka have shown the maximum increase in new cases on a week on week basis,” the ministry said.

Maharashtra alone accounted for a weekly increase of 16,012 cases.

In percentage terms, Punjab reported a weekly increase of 71.5 per cent (1,783 cases).

The center is continuously engaging with the states and union territories reporting higher caseload of active cases and those reporting a spike in the daily new COVID-19 cases, the ministry underlined.

States and UTs have been advised to maintain a continued rigorous vigil for containing the spread of COVID-19 so that the gains of collective efforts are not squandered away, the ministry said.

Need for effective testing, comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation of positive cases and quick quarantine of close contacts are strongly emphasized.

The central government has also rushed high-level teams to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir to support them in their fight against the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. The three-member teams are headed by joint secretary-level officers in the Health Ministry.

They will ascertain reasons for the surge and coordinate with the state health departments in COVID-19 control and containment measures.

India’s total active caseload has reached 1,70,126 on Wednesday. India’s present active caseload now stands at 1.53 per cent of the total positive cases.

Showing the change in active cases for states / UTs in a day, the ministry said while Kerala, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir show a reduction in the active cases in a span of 24 hours, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi , Karnataka and Gujarat display a rise in the active cases during the same period.

Eight States — Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana — are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, the ministry stated.

The 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccination started on February 13 for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the first dose. Vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

More than 1.56 crore (1,56,20,749) vaccine doses have been administered through 3,12,188 sessions, according to provisional report till Wednesday 7 am.

These include 67,42,187 healthcare workers (1st dose), 27,13,144 HCWs (2nd dose), 55,70,230 FLWs (1st dose) and 834 FLWs (2nd dose), 71,896 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities ( 1st dose) and 5,22,458 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

As on Day-46 of the vaccination drive (March 2), total 7,68,730 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 6,52,501 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 10,527 sessions for 1st dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 1,16,229 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine.

More than 1.08 crore people have recovered from the disease so far. As many as 13,123 patients have recovered and got discharged in the last 24 hours.

Of the new recovered cases, 86.58 per cent are concentrated in six states.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 6,332 newly recovered cases. As many as 3,512 people recovered in Kerala in the past 24 hours, followed by 473 in Tamil Nadu.

Ninety-eight deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours.

Four states account for 88.78 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (54). Kerala follows with 16 daily deaths and Punjab reported 10 deaths in a span of 24 hours. – PTI