Nearly 81 per cent of the new coronavirus cases recorded by India in the last 24 hours were reported from six states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat, the government said today. Of these, Maharashtra and Gujarat recorded the biggest single-day jump in total infections ever since the pandemic hit India.
As India logged the highest number of cases in a single day since October 23 with 53,456 new infections, Maharashtra, the worst-hit state by the pandemic, recorded 31,855 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total number of infections in the state to 25,64,881. So far, over 53,000 people have died of coronavirus in the state.
India's financial capital Mumbai reported 5,185 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours - the city's biggest ever single-day spike, and a nearly 48 per cent increase from the preceding period. The city has banned celebration of Holi - which falls on March 28 and 29 - in public or private spaces. Authorities will also carry out random Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) of people in public spaces.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat, 1,790 fresh cases were recorded and the tally rose to 2,92,169.
In a statement, Health Ministry today said ten states - Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh - are showing an "upward trajectory in daily cases".
Three states, Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab, account for 74.32 per cent of total active cases in the country -3,95,192. Maharashtra alone accounts for 62.91 per cent of the total active cases in the country.
Across India, 251 people died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the government said. "Six states account for 78.49 per cent of the daily deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (95). Punjab follows with 39 daily deaths and Chhattisgarh reported 29 deaths in the last 24 hours," the Health Ministry statement further read.
