A huge surge of 3.68 lakh fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours took India's total caseload to 1.99 crore.
The country saw 3,417 deaths linked to Covid during this period, which takes the total number of deaths to 2.18 lakh.
On Sunday, the country reported the highest number of deaths since the start of the pandemic with 3,689 people dying. 3,92,488 infections were recorded during the previous 24 hours, six per cent higher than the latest daily spike.
Meanwhile, for the second straight day, Delhi reported over 400 Covid deaths on Sunday while the positivity rate - the rate at which people getting tested for Covid receive positive results - dropped below 30 per cent, according to the state health bulletin. The city also added 20,394 fresh cases.
It reported 407 deaths on Sunday, a tad behind the 412 deaths on Saturday, the highest so far. The positivity rate stood at 28.33 per cent.
At least 24 patients have died at the District Hospital in Chamarajanagar in Karnataka in the last 24 hours, officials said. Some of the patients died due to shortage of medical oxygen, according to District Incharge Minister Suresh Kumar.
"Twenty-four patients, including COVID-19 patients, died at Chamarajanagar District Hospital due to oxygen shortage and others reasons in last 24 hours. We are waiting for the death audit report," Mr Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The patients died reportedly between 12 to 2 am.
At least 144 patients are being treated at the hospital.
Here are the Live Updates On Coronavirus Latest News in India:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday held a review meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary Health to further strengthen home isolation system for COVID-19 patients, reported news agency ANI.
Mr Kejriwal instructed authorities to strengthen the home isolation system so that patients can get good treatment with timely counselling and to keep in touch with patients undergoing treatment in home isolation.
He said that a clear record should be kept of how many COVID-19 positive patients are going to the hospital and how many are being treated in home isolation.
As per a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Arvind Kejriwal, in a COVID-19 review meeting, also said that people undergoing treatment in home isolation will get a call within 24 hours of testing positive and their counselling will begin.
India's total coronavirus caseload neared 20 million Monday, in stark contrast to gradual reopenings in Europe and other wealthier parts of the world where rapid vaccination programmes have helped keep new cases down.
West Bengal's coronavirus tally went up to 8,80,894 on Monday after another 17,501 people tested positive for the virus, while Kolkata reported its highest one-day spike of 3,990 cases, the health department said in a bulletin, reported news agency PTI. 98 fresh fatalities took the death count to 11,637, the bulletin said.
Doctors interning in Nagpur's Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), seeking Rs 50,000 COVID-19 allowance, have announced a strike from Tuesday, a doctor said on Monday, reported news agency ANI.
As many as 2,15,185 beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed on Monday, reported news agency ANI.
According to the ministry release, the vaccination drive is underway in 12 states and union territories.
Cumulatively, with 1,08,188 administered doses, Gujarat has vaccinated the most beneficiaries between the age bracket of 18 to 44 years, followed by Rajasthan with 75,817 and Maharashtra with 73,455.
Pfizer said on Monday it told the Indian government that there was no concern over the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine, as India insists on small local trials for foreign shots despite a record surge in infections and shortage of doses.
The first batch of 900 oxygen cylinders offered by the British Oxygen Company was airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to India on Monday.
The British Oxygen Company has offered 5,000 oxygen cylinders to India to help the country in its fight against rapidly spreading second wave of COVID-19.
The management of the hospital could not come up with any satisfactory answer when asked about a computer-generated poster displayed outside saying "no beds available", officiating District Magistrate Krishna Karunesh told the news agency.
Vaccination drive for people above 45 years will be restricted to the administration of the second dose on Tuesday in Mumbai given the shortage of vaccines, the city civic body said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has suspended Covid vaccine drive on May 4 for those above the age of 45 at facilities run by it due to the non-availability of doses, the civic body said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.
The Delhi Police on Monday took steps to supply Remdesivir and other Covid medical resources to hospitals and care centres that need them, reported news agency ANI. Lifesaving injections, medicines, oxygen and equipment like oxygen concentrators are being released to hospitals and care centres for use by needy patients.
So far, 86 Remdesivir injections have been released to hospitals that include Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, BSA Hospital, Deepchand Bandhu Hospital, Park Hospital, Kailash Hospital, CDMO, Terapanth Chhatarpur, Rohini Covid Care Centre and DDMA North.
90 Fabipiravur tablets have been given to Deepchand Bandhu Hospital and over 100 Remdesivir injections are in the process of being released, awaiting orders from the authorities concerned.
70 oxygen cylinders have been released to institutions that include the official in charge of DDMA West district, CDMO Terapanth Ansari Hospital, World Brain Centre Hospital, Aarya Hospital, Bhagat Chandra Hospital in south west district.
What was once a drive-in movie theatre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has now been turned into a COVID-19 drive-in vaccination centre where people can get their shot while sitting inside the safety of their cars.
Tamil Nadu recorded an all-time high in new COVID-19 infections adding 20,952 cases to the caseload of 12,28,064 while 122 deaths pushed the count to 14,468 so far, the Health Department said. With the increase in new infections, DMK chief MK Stalin, set to become the Chief Minister, met at his residence Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan and Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.
Germany's iconic Oktoberfest beer festival will be cancelled this year for the second year running due to the pandemic, Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder said. "In the classic beer tents at the big festivals, social distancing, masks and other measures are practically impossible to implement," he said after talks with Munich mayor Dieter Reiter.
Sikkim's COVID-19 tally rose to 8,468 as 27 more people tested positive for the virus while one new fatality pushed the death count to 150, a health department bulletin said. The new COVID-19 cases were reported from East Sikkim district, 13, West Sikkim, 10, and South Sikkim district, 4, it said.
Medical interns and final-year MBBS students can be deployed in the fight against the novel coronavirus, the centre said Monday afternoon, as it announced a series of measures to increase availability of human resources in the fight against the virus.
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria says CT-Scan and biomarkers are being misused. "There is no advantage in doing CT-Scan if you have mild symptoms. One CT-Scan is equivalent to 300 chest x-rays, it's very harmful... can cause cancer," he said.
"We're planning to use gaseous oxygen for medical purposes. Industrial units that make oxygen which is suitable for medical purpose and are near cities, we're planning to make temporary COVID care centers with oxygenated beds around them," says Lav Agarwal, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary.
"We're seeing a positive approach in recoveries too. On May 2, the recovery rate was at 78 per cent and on May 3 it climbed up to almost 82 per cent. These are early gains on which we have to work on regularly," says Lav Agarwal, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary.
"We have rushed 10 D-type oxygen cylinders from our SOS reserves to IBS hospital in Lajpat Nagar, which would help them tide over the crisis," AAP MLA Raghav Chadha said on Twitter.
"Sincerely hope that with the intervention of judiciary, the Centre will finally be charitable enough to give Delhi its share of oxygen," he added.
A journalist tagged the Delhi MLA in his tweet and sent out the SOS saying that IBS Hospital in Lajpat Nagar was running out of Oxygen and 37 patients were on oxygen support.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said 301 centres have been established in 76 schools in the city. He visited a vaccination centre in West Vinod Nagar.
"Mass vaccination for youth of Delhi has begun in Delhi. We have established 301 centers in 76 schools. Our target is to establish 3,000 such centers in 300 schools, subjected (sic) to the availability of vaccine," he said in a tweet.
Around 90 lakh people are eligible for the jabs under this category in Delhi.
The government set up the vaccination centres in schools to accommodate the large number of beneficiaries in this phase, an official said.
"Twenty-four patients, including COVID-19 patients, died at Chamarajanagar District Hospital due to oxygen shortage and others reasons in last 24 hours. We are waiting for the death audit report," Mr Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The patients died reportedly between 12 to 2 am.
At least 144 patients are being treated at the hospital.
A total of 6,206 patients recovered while 49 lost their lives in the same time period.
The tally of coronavirus cases in the state now stands at 4,56,485. There are currently 80,135 active cases in Telangana.
The state has reported 3,73,933 recoveries while 2417 deaths were recorded as per the official report.
The recovery rate of the state is 81.91 per cent and the case fatality rate stands at 0.52 per cent.
He was admitted to a hospital in Kanpur after he had tested positive for COVID-19, ANI reported.
With this, the total number of confirmed cases in Odisha has gone up to 4,71,536. Currently, there are 71,835 active cases of COVID-19 in the state, ANI reported.
"Lt Governor has sought further advise from concerned departments and agencies with regard to the availability of key medicines, beds, medical oxygen and augmentation of capacities at crematoriums and graveyards, with the aim of addressing the ongoing problems being faced by people," LG office said in a tweet from its official handle.