Kerala contributed 32,803 cases or nearly 70 per cent of new cases and a third of deaths. The total number of those affected in the state by the viral infection now stands at 40,90,036. The test positivity rate was reported at 18.76 and with 173 deaths, the number of fatalities increased to 20,961, a state government release said.
With over 85 per cent Covid patients in the southern state isolated at home, the Health Ministry has stressed on a "smart and strategic lockdown" to curb the daily surge, sources told NDTV. Kerala has not been following the Centre's advice while reporting the highest daily cases in the country, officials insisted, adding that neighbouring states are feeling the impact.
As many as 32 students - all of them returnees from Kerala - have tested positive for COVID-19 in a college in Karnataka, state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Wednesday. There are 18,386 active cases in the state as of now.
Maharashtra's Covid tally was up by 4,456 to take its tally to 64,69,332. The state reported 183 virus-related deaths in the past 24 hours.
Schools for classes 6 to 8 reopened in Gujarat today with 50 per cent capacity. Though schools in the state have been permitted to resume classes from their premises, the ongoing system of online lessons for these classes will also continue. Around 32 lakh students are currently studying in Classes 6 to 8 in the state.
Delhi reported 36 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the active caseload in the national capital to 343. The active cases in the city now stand at 0.23 per cent, the lowest since the start of the pandemic according to official data.
Active cases constitute 1.19% of total cases, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands 97.48 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said. The daily positivity rate now stands at 2.80 per cent.
India's COVID-19 vaccine coverage has crossed the 66 crore mark, with at least one dose in 54% of its adults and the required two doses in 16%. More than 81 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours.
The World Health Organization has said it is monitoring a new coronavirus variant known as "Mu", which was first identified in Colombia in January. Mu, known scientifically as B.1.621, has been classified as a "variant of interest", the global health body said Tuesday in its weekly pandemic bulletin.
Coronavirus cases worldwide have surpassed the 200 million mark. Cases are rising in about one-third of the world's countries, many of which have not even given half their population the first dose.
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