The active caseload was the lowest at 1,35,926 on February 12 and comprised 1.25 per cent of total infections
A relative checks the grave of a COVID-19 victim before the burial at a graveyard in New Delhi on Saturday. Pic/AFP
India on Saturday recorded 89,129 new COVID-19 cases in a day, the highest daily rise in around six-and-a-half months, taking the nationwide tally of infections to over 1.23 crore, according to the Union Health Ministry on Saturday. The death toll increased to 1,64,110 with 714 more fatalities in a day, also the highest since October 21. The jump in cases reported on Saturday was the highest since September 20 last year, when 92,605 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours. Corresponding to the rapid surge in cases, the number of active cases too have registered a steady increase for the 24th day in a row with the tally reaching 6,58,909, which is 5.32 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate has further dropped to 93.36 per cent, the data stated. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,15,69,241.
Vax hesitancy levels down
As the COVID-19 second wave is getting stronger in India, the percentage of citizens willing to take the vaccine has gone up to 77 per cent, as per a LocalCircles survey. With almost 90,000 daily cases, and vaccination for all above the age of 45 years beginning on April 1, hesitancy levels are down to 23 per cent. Fifty-two per cent of citizens who took the vaccine did not have any kind of side effects.
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The government has reportedly claimed that both Covishield and Covaxin vaccines are effective against the UK and Brazilian strains of SARS-COV2, while work against the South African variant is underway at several laboratories, the survey said. All of these developments have become primary drivers for more people to take the vaccine. With vaccination for all citizens above 45 beginning on April 1, the daily inoculations are expected to jump to an average of 50 lakh a day. India has already administered over seven crore vaccine doses.
Telangana feels the heat
Telangana continued to record its highest number of daily cases, taking the count beyond 1,000 in the last 24 hours, health officials said on Saturday. The state’s tally has mounted to 3,10,819 with 1,078 fresh infections. According to the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, the fatality rate stands at 0.55 per cent, which is still lower than the national average of 1.3 per cent.
13 students test positive
At least 13 students and two non-academic staff of Delhi’s prestigious St Stephen’s College have tested positive for COVID-19. This group of students had gone on a trip to Dalhousie recently, where they might have contracted the virus. Many of them were staying at the college hostel. After returning from the trip, these students were found to be positive. The college administration, while taking all necessary precautions, has stopped all activities in the college campus for the time being. It also said the Dean of the residence has been informed and all protocols are followed.
Farooq hospitalised
Former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who recently tested positive, was admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences on Saturday for better management. Abdullah’s son, Omar Abdullah, posted the news about his father’s admission to the hospital on his Twitter handle.
1,23,92,260
Total number of cases in the country as of Saturday
1,64,110
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India
1,15,69,241
Patients Recovered and discharged in India as of Saturday
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