Covid has infected over 3.86 lakh more people in India in yet another worrying daily high and killed 3,498 in the last 24 hours. The record number comes even as a huge international aid operation has been launched with many countries promising help.
Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus in India:
This morning, a US military plane brought the first emergency coronavirus supplies from America to help India battle its devastating surge in the pandemic. A Super Galaxy military transporter carrying more than 400 oxygen cylinders and other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid coronavirus tests landed in Delhi.
The total number of deaths has increased to 2,08,330 after the one-day spike. This is the ninth straight day of over three lakh new cases in the country. India's tally of more than 1.87 crore Covid cases is the second-highest globally, behind the United States and ahead of Brazil.
Maharashtra reported 66,159 new cases and 771 deaths on Thursday. The Mumbai civic body has cited vaccine shortage and said it is stopping vaccination for three days, starting today.
After Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi have the highest number of infections.
Kerala - which reported India's first Covid case last year - on Thursday logged 38,607 new Covid cases, the highest in a day so far. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said more restrictions will be imposed in the state from May 4 to 9.
Neighbouring Karnataka saw 35,024 fresh cases and 270 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Delhi once again reported its highest ever deaths in a day due to the virus. 395 Covid patients died and 24,235 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours in the capital, according to government data.
A single-day rise of 295 COVID-19 fatalities in Uttar Pradesh pushed the death count to 12,238, while the infection tally rose to over 12.17 lakh with 35,104 fresh cases.
Mizoram, which has the third least number of COVID-19 cases in the country after Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, reported 139 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 6,019.
Even with the vaccination drive set to open to all above 18 from tomorrow, many states are uncertain about the availability of enough vaccine doses. States like Maharashtra and Delhi say they don't have enough doses. Tamil Nadu has ordered 1.5 crore doses but sources say the state government is uncertain about starting vaccinations for those between 18 and 45 from Saturday.
