The death count increased to 1,77,150 with 1,501 new fatalities.
A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
The death count increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase for the 39th day in a row, the active cases stand at 18,01,316, comprising 12.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62 per cent, the ministry said.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,28,09,643, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.20 per cent, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today tweeted to say that he is suspending all his public rallies in West Bengal in view of view of the Covid situation in the state. In a brief post, Mr Gandhi also advised political leaders against holding large public rallies.
"I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances," Mr Gandhi tweeted.
West Bengal, which is in the midst of an eight-phased assembly election, has seen a sudden spike the COVID-19 cases.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus India Cases:
COVID-19: IFFCO to set up oxygen plant in Gujarat to give it for free to hospitals
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is going to set up an oxygen plant with 200 cubic meters per hour capacity in its Gujarat's Kalol unit and will provide free oxygen to hospitals suffering from a shortage of oxygen amid the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 infections.
"We at IFFCO, humbly share that on nation's service, is putting up an oxygen plant with capacity of 200 cubic meters per hour in its Kalol unit in Gujarat. IFFCO will give free oxygen to hospitals. Each cylinder will be of 46.7 litres," read an official statement.
The plant will generate medical grade oxygen and fill 700 big D type cylinders daily and also 300 medium B size cylinders on demand which will be supplied to all hospitals free.
"IFFCO will also put up three more plants across the country to help the nation in this pandemic time," the statement added.
Kerala universities postpone exams amid COVID-19 surge
Following the intervention of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, all exams being scheduled by the universities from Monday have been postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 surge in the state.
Among those universities that postponed various exams include APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Kerala University, Calicut University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kochi, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala University of Health Sciences, Malayalam University and Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.
"Vice-Chancellors have been requested by the Governor to postpone all offline exams. The Governor has suggested that fresh dates be given based on the prevailing conditions," said the Kerala Governor''s office.
"In view of the directions from the Chancellor and considering the representations from student organisations, Vice-Chancellor has directed to postpone all scheduled examinations of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University," said a release issued by Controller of Examinations of the University.
Assam reports 639 new COVID-19 cases, six more fatalities
Assam's COVID-19 tally mounted to 2,24,455 on Sunday as 639 more people tested positive for the infection, while six fresh fatalities pushed the deaths to 1,135, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.
The six deaths were reported from Barpeta, Cachar, Dhemaji, Kamrup Metropolitan, Morigaon and Tinsukia districts, it said
The NHM said that 1,347 more COVID-19 patients have also died in the state, but the government's Death Audit Board has not included them in the coronavirus death toll as they
had other ailments. Assam currently has 5,268 active cases, it said.
People coming to Chhattisgarh to undergo mandatory COVID-19 test, says Chief Minister
The Chhattisgarh government has mandated a COVID-19 test for all passengers at airports, railway stations, bus stands and inter-state borders coming to the state amid the increasing number of coronavirus infections.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday reviewed the current status of coronavirus infection in 10 districts of the state, preventive measures and arrangements made for the treatment of patients in a virtual meeting held at his residence office.
"Amid increasing COVID-19 caseload, passengers coming from outside to be tested at airports, railway stations, bus stands and inter-state borders. Testing to be done in rural areas as well," said Mr Baghel.
Odisha plans to increase beds in Covid hospitals by 4 to 5 fold: Official
The Odisha government on Sunday decided to increase the number of beds by four to five times in COVID hospitals in view of spiralling coronavirus cases in the state and formed several expert teams to monitor these facilities, an official said.
Currently, 6,905 beds are available in 48 COVID hospitals across the state, he said.
As the number of active cases crossed the 20,000-mark, the government has asked the district administrations to revive the facilities where coronavirus patients were treated last year and to strengthen overall infrastructure for the COVID management, he said.
"The number of beds in hospitals will be increased by 4 to 5 fold," public health Director Dr Niranjan Mishra told reporters.
569 cases registered, 323 arrested for weekend curfew violations in Delhi
The Delhi Police has registered 569 FIRs and arrested 323 people for violating weekend curfew imposed by the city government amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, officials said on Sunday.
According to data shared by Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Chinmoy Biswal, since 8 pm on Saturday till 5 pm on Sunday, 569 FIRs have been registered and 323 people arrested for violating the weekend curfew.
It also issued a total of 2,369 challans for violating the COVID-19 norms from 8 pm on Saturday till 5 pm on Sunday, the data showed.
The Delhi government had announced a seven-hour night curfew recently. The decision was taken after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the city.
The DDMA order for night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will be in force till April 30. People engaged in certain professions have been exempted from the curfew.
12,707 new COVID-19 cases in Pune district, 116 dead
Maharashtra's Pune district reported 12,707 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking its infection tally to 7,22,476, a health official said.
The deaths due to the virus reached 11,428 as 116 patients died due to the infection, he said. "Of the 12,707 new cases, 6,434 were from areas within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, where the caseload has grown to 3,67,237," the official added.
A total of 4,712 patients recovered from the infection in the district during the day.
With 2,830 new cases, the case count in Pune city's neighbouring industrial township of Pimpri Chinchwad is 1,83,746 now.
105 new COVID-19 cases in Sikkim
Sikkim's COVID-19 tally rose to 6,696 on Sunday as 105 more people tested positive for the infection, an official said.
Sikkim's IEC member Sonam Bhutia said that South Sikkim registered the highest number of new cases at 53, followed by 43 in East Sikkim, five in North Sikkim and four in West Sikkim.
The Himalayan state now has 399 active cases, while 6,014 people have recovered from the disease, 136 patients have died due to the infection and 147 have migrated to other states so far, he said.
Bengaluru Civic Body Notice To Private City Hospitals For Not Reserving 50% Beds For Covid PatientsBengaluru civic body sends notice to some private city hospitals for not reserving 50% beds for Covid patients.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Asks People To Stay Indoors Till April 30
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday asked people to stay indoors till April 30 to break the chain of rising coronavirus infection.
"It is very necessary to break the chain of the coronavirus infection in view of the rise in the cases. No one should come out of house unnecessarily till April 30," Mr Chouhan said in a statement.
Punjab Reports 68 Deaths, 4,957 Fresh Covid Cases
68 more people died from coronavirus in Punjab on Sunday as the health authorities reported another record daily spike of 4,957 cases, pushing the state's infection tally to 3,00,038.
On Saturday, the state had witnessed its highest daily increase of 4,498 cases.
With 68 more fatalities in the past 24 hours, the death count climbed to 7,902 in the state, according to a medical bulletin.
Eleven deaths were reported in Amritsar, nine in Gurdaspur, seven in Patiala and six in Rupnagar.
Mohali reported 880 cases, the maximum in the state, followed by 742 in Amritsar, 686 in Ludhiana, 445 in Jalandhar and 379 in Patiala.
The number of active cases stands at 34,190.
Telangana Adds 5,093 New Covid Cases, 15 Deaths
The daily COVID-19 cases in Telangana has breached the 5,000-mark by registering 5,093 fresh infections, the highest ever so far, pushing the aggregate to over 3.51 lakh.
The death count climbed to 1,824 with 15 more fatalities.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 743, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (488) and Rangareddy (407), a government bulletin said on Sunday providing details as of 8 PM on April 17.
UP Records Highest Single-Day Rise Of 30,596 Cases, 129 Deaths
Uttar Pradesh registered the highest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases as well as fatality count, with the disease claiming 129 more lives, while 30,596 fresh cases pushed its tally to 8,51,620.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said in the last 24 hours, 30,596 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from the state, while 9,041 patients recovered from the disease.
A total of 6,50,333 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered from the disease in the state, he added.
Andhra Pradesh Sees 6,582 Fresh Covid Cases, 22 Deaths
Andhra Pradesh reported 6,582 fresh cases of coronavirus, 2,343 recoveries and 22 deaths in
the last 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday.
The active COVID-19 caseload has increased to 44,686, a bulletin said. The chart showed 9,62,037 positive cases, 9,09,941 recoveries and 7,410 deaths so far.
PM Modi Should Resign Owning Responsibility For Covid Surge: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation for mishandling of the COVID-19 second wave and alleged that the prime minister failed in planning to contain the rise in the number of infections.
Asserting that PM Modi did little to address the possible crisis in the supply of medical oxygen and vaccines in the five-six months when the virus had lost its sting before its resurgence this year, Ms Banerjee accused PM Modi of exporting vaccines to other countries to boost his image in the international arena while there was a scarcity in his own nation.
DMK Chief MK Stalin Urges PM To Dispatch 20 Lakh Covid Vaccine Doses To Tamil Nadu
DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct officials to send 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses ''requisitioned'' by the Tamil Nadu government immediately and ensure supplies commensurate with the state's population.
In view of rapid increase in the number of people getting infected by COVID-19, ''universal vaccination'' is the need of the hour to protect lives, the DMK chief said in a letter to the Prime Minister and appealed to him to ''take a policy decision swiftly,'' over it.
Tamil Nadu would need more vaccine doses than allotted now to accomplish effective vaccinations, break the cycle of infection and flatten the curve, he said.
Manmohan Singh Writes To PM On Covid Crisis, Stresses Vaccination Key To Battling Pandemic
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 crisis, stressing that ramping up vaccination was the key to battling the pandemic, and mooted steps to boost supply including invoking compulsory licensing provisions as in case of HIV/AIDS drugs.
In a letter to the prime minister, the veteran Congress leader said one must not look at absolute numbers but the total percentage of the population that has been vaccinated.
"The key to our fight against COVID-19 must be ramping up the vaccination effort. We must resist the temptation to look at the absolute numbers being vaccinated, and focus instead on the percentage of the population vaccinated," he said in his letter.
"Leave Election Management, Start Covid Management: AAP's Raghav Chadha To PM Modi
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Raghav Chadha hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the handling of coronavirus crisis in the country and asked him to "leave election management and start corona management".
At a press conference, he slammed prime minister and said the fast pase in which coronavirus cases are increasing in the country, the BJP's poll rallies too are increasing at the same rate.
"Looking at the deteriorating coronavirus situation in the country, I want PM Modi to leave election management and start corona management," the AAP MLA said.
Ex-Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Wife Test Covid Positive
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his wife Asha Hooda tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
The 73-year-old Congress leader and his wife are in Delhi and they will get themselves admitted to a hospital in Gurgaon as a precautionary measure, party MLA BB Batra said.
"Hooda had mild fever on Saturday. Later, he and his wife got themselves tested for COVID-19 and their report was positive," he said.
Covid Positivity Rate Doubles To 16.69% In 12 Days: Centre
The daily coronavirus positivity rate in India in the last 12 days has doubled to 16.69 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate has increased to 13.54 per cent in the past one month, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
India reported a record 2,61,500 new coronavirus cases and 1,501 deaths on Sunday, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, the ministry data stated.
Ten states -- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan -- reported 78.56 per cent of the new infections, it said.
"The daily positivity rate in the last 12 days has doubled from 8% to 16.69%," the ministry said in a statement. "The national weekly positivity rate has increased from 3.05% to 13.54% in the last one month."
Odisha Reports 3,664 New COVID-19 Cases
Odisha has reported 3664 new COVID-19 cases and 1303 recoveries in the last 24 hours, according to the State Health Department on Sunday. With this, the total number of cases in the state now stands at 3,68,258. There are 21436 active cases while 3,44,825 patients have been cured or recovered.
"Suspending All My Public Rallies": Rahul Gandhi Amid Bengal Covid Surge
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today tweeted to say that he is suspending all his public rallies in West Bengal in view of view of the Covid situation in the state. In a brief post, Mr Gandhi also advised political leaders against holding large public rallies.
Read Here Telangana Reports 5,093 New COVID-19 Cases
Telangana reported 5,093 new COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths on Saturday, according to the state health bulletin. In a report, the total count of COVID positive cases in the state currently stands at 3,51,424 including 3,12,563 discharges and 1824 deaths. The number of active cases in the state currently stands at 37,037.
Odisha Logs 3,664 New COVID-19 Cases, 2 More Deaths
Odisha's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 3,68,258 on Sunday after 3,664 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the coastal state's toll to 1,944, a senior health department official here said. Of the 3,664 new cases, 2,127 were registered in quarantine centres and the rest detected during contact tracing, the official said.
Remdesivir Supplier "Being Harassed" In Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai police questioned a pharma company director over alleged excess stock of the Remdesivir drug and allowed him to leave after he produced necessary documents, a police official said on Sunday. "He had stocked at least 60,000 vials. The state and central governments had allowed him to sell the stock, originally meant for export, in the domestic market due to scarcity of the drug used to treat coronavirus patients," the police official said.
Noida Witnesses Empty Roads, Low Footfall Due To COVID-Induced Sunday Lockdown
Noida witnessed low footfall and empty roads on Sunday due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown. As per the visuals, the roads were seen empty. Several shops remained closed and only those with essential supplies were open. The state government on Friday announced a lockdown across the state on all Sundays till May 15. All districts of Uttar Pradesh are under lockdown from 8 pm on Saturday, which will continue till 7 am, Monday.
42 New Cases Push Andamans COVID-19 Tally To 5,331
Andaman and Nicobar Islands COVID-19 caseload surged to 5,331 as 42 more people tested positive for the virus, a health department official said on Sunday. The COVID-19 death toll in the archipelago rose to 64 as one more person succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said. Of the 42 new coronavirus cases, 31 were detected in South Andaman district during contact tracing and the rest 11 tested positive for COVID-19 during rapid antigen test at the airport upon arrival, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting at 11 am to review the COVID-19 situation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The meeting will be attended by top officials, local administration and doctors who are involved in fighting COVID in Varanasi: Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Top Seer Ends Kumbh Mela After PM's Request To Keep It "Symbolic"
Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed that the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand's Haridwar "should only be symbolic" amid an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases across the country, Swami Avdheshanand Giri - one of the top seers in the country - announced an early end to the month-long mega festival for Juna Akhara.
Read Here 2,61,500 Fresh Coronavirus Cases In India In Biggest-Ever One-Day Spike
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases surged to 1,47,88,109 with 2,61,500 new infections, while the recoveries have surged to 1,28,09,643, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death count increased to 1,77,150 with 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
UP's Ghaziabad Crematorium Struggles Amid Rising COVID-19 Deaths
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, people were seen, along with corpses, outside a crematorium in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Saturday. People along with the corpses of their relatives awaited their turn to perform the final rites. Speaking to ANI, Acharya Manish, Chief Manager Ghaziabad Cremation Ghat said: "We used to receive 10 to 15 corpses including covid and non-covid per day earlier, but from seven to eight days, this count has gone up. For the covid corpse, we have arranged a different ground to perform their last rites. Corpses are being kept in wait outside the premises just to avoid the crowd inside the crematorium."
"Like We Did Last Year, We Will Fight Covid With Greater Speed," Says PM
India will fight Covid like last year with "even greater speed and coordination", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he reviewed the Covid situation in the country amid a frightening surge in infections. With several states reporting a shortage of Covid vaccines amid a fast-growing second wave, the Prime Minister urged the officials to "utilise the entire national capacity to ramp up vaccine production".
Read Here Delhi Government Makes 14-Day Home Quarantine Mandatory For Kumbh Returnees
The Delhi government has issued an order making it mandatory for all residents of Delhi who visit the Kumbh in Haridwar to quarantine themselves at home for fourteen days on return. Anyone who violates the order will face legal action. An order issued by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev states, "All those residents of Delhi, who have visited or are going to visit Kumbh, will be required to compulsory home quarantine themselves for 14 days on arrival to Delhi."
Coronavirus: Weekend Lockdown Imposed In The National Capital
"Waiting For Centre Permission To Set Up Oxygen Plants": Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today urged people to follow the government-mandated Covid protocols - such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing - while insisting that "our objective is not to harass people with restrictions but to protect them".
Read Here 24,000 Cases In Delhi, Shortage Of 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.
"Any health infrastructure has limitations. The government is trying its best to increase the number of beds. I hope that we will be able to add 6,000 more beds in the next two to four days," he said.
Delhi led major cities across India into a weekend lockdown Saturday as the country confronts a fierce new coronavirus wave, with more than 2.3 lakh fresh daily cases that has left many states struggling for drugs and hospital beds.