India's Covid caseload surged to 1.45 crore cases with 2,34,692 fresh infections - the sharpest-ever daily spike - as the country recorded over 2 lakh cases for the third straight day. 1,341 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours as the country saw deadliest day of pandemic this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning appealed that annual Kumbh Mela "should now only be symbolic" amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, stressing that it will give a boost to fight against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra and Delhi on Friday reported their biggest ever single-day surge in coronavirus cases, according to government data.
While Delhi reported 19,486 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, Maharashtra logged 63,729 infections.
The national capital also reported 141 deaths, which is its biggest one-day Covid death count. The city's active cases have risen to highest-ever 61,000. The recovery rate has dropped to 90.94 per cent.
Delhi's positivity rate was 19.69 per cent. 12,649 Covid patients were discharged in the last 24 hours. Nearly 99,000 coronavirus tests were conducted in the city during the period.
Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, logged 398 deaths in the last 24 hours. 45,335 patients were discharged.
Here are the Live Updates on Coronavirus India Cases:
Apr 18, 2021 06:49 (IST)
Shiv Sena Blames Centre, Election Commission For Second Covid Wave
Holding the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) responsible for the second wave of coronavirus in India, the Shiv Sena on Saturday said that the virus spread across the country more rapidly from those states, where polls were either held recently or are still underway.
Had the Centre reduced its "dose of politics" and focused on tackling the pandemic, the situation would been under control, it said.
"China might have been responsible for the outbreak of the pandemic in India, but for the second wave of coronavirus, the Election Commission and the Centre are responsible. The virus spread at 500 times more speed to the rest of the country from the states where polls were either held recently or are still underway," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ''Saamana''.
Apr 18, 2021 03:57 (IST)
'Not Saying Don't Export Vaccines, But India First': Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vaccine diplomacy policy under which millions of doses of Covishield and Covaxin - the two anti-Covid jabs manufactured in India - were gifted to several countries. Pointing out the shortages of vaccines in several states amid a spurt of coronavirus cases across the country, Mr Singh said the centre should have prioritised vaccinations of Indians over the "goodwill gesture".
"...What was the point of gifting 5 crore doses to other countries. What about us? What about Indians? Don't we get it first? I am not saying don't give it (vaccines) if you have it, but if you don't have it, the priority should be (vaccinations of) Indians, not giving the vaccines to others as a goodwill gesture... First give the vaccine to me. I said this when the Prime Minister had the conference the other day...," the 79-year-old Congress veteran said at NDTV's Solutions Summit.
Apr 18, 2021 03:30 (IST)
24,000 Cases In Delhi Today, Short On Oxygen, Remdesivir: Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday gave a dire warning, saying that the city was fast running out of beds, oxygen and the life-saving drug Remdesivir as it recorded an unprecedented 24,000 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.
The positivity rate had reached a huge 24 per cent - meaning one in four of all people being tested were coming out positive, he said.
"The situation is very serious and worrisome," Mr Kejriwal said. "Cases have gone up really fast. That is why we are facing shortages even though everything seemed under control until a few days ago. But the speed at which this corona is growing, no one knows where its peak will be," he added.
Apr 17, 2021 21:25 (IST)
PM Modi Meets Top Officials, Reviews Covid And Vaccination Situation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with top central government officials via video conference to discuss the deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the national vaccination drive.
Apr 17, 2021 17:21 (IST)
Spoke To Union Health Minister On Beds, Oxygen Shortage: Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he discussed the national capital's oxygen and beds shortage with Union health minister Harsh Vardhan. "Told him that there is a shortage of beds. The Centre has 10,000 beds in Delhi. 50 per cent of these beds should be reserved for Covid patients," he said.
Apr 17, 2021 17:15 (IST)
2,100 beds with oxygen have been created by attaching banquet halls, hotels with hospitals. 6,000 beds will be added in the next few days: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
