As India continues to see alarming surge in Covid infections, a record spike of 3,79,257 fresh cases and 3,645 deaths was reported in the last 24 hours.
Over 1.83 crore people have contracted the virus so far. Hospitals and crematoria are overwhelmed amid the uptick.
Nearly 1.33 crore people applied for vaccination on Wednesday as the government's dedicated website, CoWIN, opened for registrations today. Those between 18 and 44 can get Covid shots from May 1 (Saturday).
After initial glitches, the CoWIN site was getting almost 27 lakh hits a minute, government sources said. Appointments will be based on slots made available by states and private vaccination centres, they said.
"More Appointment slots will soon be offered. If slots are not currently available, please check again after sometime. We request your patience and understanding," said government sources.
Vaccinations will begin on Saturday for everyone above 18 from May 1 (Saturday) under a more "liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination".
