New Delhi: India has added 43,846 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, setting another highest daily-high in nearly four months, amid a worrying surge in Covid cases.

The Coronavirus infection has prompted states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to consider return of school closures, restrictions on public gatherings and other virus-fighting measures, including lockdown in their worst-hit districts. 

The daily rise in infections today was the highest recorded in 112 days, while the number of fatalities has risen to 1,59,755 with 197 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka and Gujarat are the five states that have recorded the highest single-day surge since yesterday, government data shows.

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India recorded one lakh infections in just three days, the government said on Saturday after 40,953 new infections were reported in a day. On Friday, 39,726 new cases were logged while 35,871 fresh cases were recorded the previous day. India's COVID-19 tally currently stands at 1.15 crore (1,15,99,130).

Eight states including Maharashtra and Delhi are reporting a rising trajectory of new infections, the Health ministry said while giving the latest COVID-19 update on Saturday. Kerala, meanwhile, is showing a "consistently declining" trend, it said.

Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, accounts for 62 per cent of daily cases in the country, the government said. The western state on Saturday reported 27,126 daily coronavirus cases for the first time ever. Ninty-two people in the state died because of the illness in the last 24 hours, according to government data.

Meanwhile, Delhi added more than 800 coronavirus cases yesterday, crossing the number for the first time this year. The new 813 cases pushed the capital's infection tally past 6.47 lakh while two more fatalities took the number of deaths to 10,955, according to data shared by the health department.

In the south, Tamil Nadu has ordered closure of schools for classes 9, 10 and 11 from March 22 from today. However, classes for the 12th standard students will continue as they have to take the board examination.

The sudden jump in cases was due to "laxity in the observance of COVID-appropriate behaviour" by people, especially at crowded places, the government has said. The Centre has also directed the states and Union territories to strictly ensure that people follow Covid-appropriate behaviour like wearing of face masks, maintaining hand hygiene and social distancing.

India is witnessing surge in Covid cases amid a countrywide vaccination drive through which over four crore people have been administered anti-Covid vaccine jabs so far.

The COVID-19 vaccine should be able to give good protection from the infection for eight to ten months, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said yesterday. He also said that no major side-effect of the vaccine has been recorded.

Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin have been currently approved for restricted emergency use in India. Last week, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had announced that more than six coronavirus vaccines will come up in India.

More than 12 crore people have been affected worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic; 26 lakh have died.

Source: NDTV

BDST: 1251 HRS, MAR 21, 2021
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