Maharashtra reported 23,179 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, its highest this year and nearly 30 per cent higher than the day before, amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in some parts of the country described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an "emerging second peak".
Nagpur city reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases during the day with 2,698, followed by 2,612 in Pune and 2,377 in Mumbai. Maharashtra reported 84 deaths in the last 24 hours. There are over 1.52 lakh active cases in the state at present.
The worrying data came on a day when PM Modi said quick action was needed to contain the surge, as the country's infections tally hit 1.14 crore, the third behind the United States and Brazil.
"We need to soon stop the emerging second peak of corona," he said in a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers on Wednesday, urging them to increase testing and strictly monitor mask-wearing. "We need to take quick, decisive steps."
"In recent weeks, some 70 districts have witnessed a more than 150 per cent increase in the number of cases and if we do not stop the pandemic right now, it could lead to a nationwide outbreak," he said.
Coronavirus Infections fell to below 9,000 new cases in early February, but have steadily increased since then, reaching 28,903 on Wednesday, the highest increase since December 13. Deaths increased by 188, the highest in two months, to stand at 1,59,044.
PM Modi said states needed to proactively ensure infections did not increase in the countryside, where healthcare facilities would fall short. Rural India is home to two-thirds of the country's 135 crore people.
The central government has blamed crowding and a reluctance to wear masks for the spike, ruling out the virus mutations that have been a factor in Western countries.
The recent increase has been led by Maharashtra, home to the country's commercial capital of Mumbai.
Nearly 62 per cent of infections in the past 24 hours and 46 per cent of the deaths were reported by Maharashtra, which has ordered a lockdown in some districts and put curbs on cinemas, hotels and restaurants until the end of the month.
The state had reported its first COVID-19 case in March last year. The daily number of cases had started rising gradually and in September last year, more than one lakh cases were added in Maharashtra within a span of merely a week.
(With inputs from agencies)
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