New Delhi: India reported over 2 lakh new Covid-19 cases over 24 hours Thursday, the biggest single-day spike ever, taking the overall tally to 1,40,74,564, cases. Deaths due to Covid also rose – 1,038 was the number on Thursday. This took the overall death toll in the country to 1,73,123.
A total of 93,528 patients recovered in the same time span, taking the number of recoveries to 1,24,29,564 with a recovery rate of 88.31 per cent.
The Health Ministry said that a total of 13,84,549 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
According to the government data, a total of 33,13,848 people were also vaccinated in the same period, taking the total inoculation count to 11,44,93,238.
After the surge in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew to break the chain of Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, amid the heavy surge in Covid-19 cases, the Modi government is mulling to allow vaccines manufactured in countries like the US, the UK, Japan or which are listed in the WHO’s emergency use listing.
The aim is to augment the basket of vaccines available for fighting Covid-19 pandemic as well as to accelerate the coverage of the domestic vaccination program started on January 16.
India has already granted permission for the Sputnik-V vaccine in emergency situations.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. has announced that it has received official permission to import the Sputnik vaccine restricted use in emergency situations.
Meanwhile, as Covid-19 roars back in India, many migrant workers who had just started to resettle in the cities they left during last year’s outbreak are packing up to return to their villages again.
