The total number of Covid -19 cases in India on Tuesday increased to 46,711 after 3,875 fresh cases emerged in the last 24 hours, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The death toll in the country also rose by 194 to 1,583 since Monday, it said.
There are currently 31,967 active cases since the outbreak while 13,160 patients have been discharged or cured of the highly contagious disease. One patient has migrated from the country. Apart from that, the total number of confirmed cases also include 111 foreign nationals.
Speaking at the press briefing today, Lav Aggrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health said that till Tuesday morning, "3,900 new cases and 195 fatalities reported in last 24 hours, highest increase in single day." He also added that 1,020 people have recovered in the last 24 hours bringing the total to 12,726. The recovery rate thus, stands at 27.41%.
As India saw the highest single-day spike in the number of deaths in the last 24 hours, Aggrawal clarified, "We persuaded certain states as we were not receiving reports of cases/deaths on time from them, after which the cases have been reported and we have seen spike in death cases today," and urged officials for timely report of deaths and cases in their states.
Furthermore, relating to the MHA guidelines to ease relaxation on certain parts across the country, Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, MHA said that to maintain social distancing, "gathering of not more than 50 people are allowed at wedding functions and not more than 20 people at last rites of deceased persons."
Meanwhile, among the total number of cases, Maharashtra continued to be the hardest-hit state with infections surging to 14,541 after 771 fresh cases and 35 death were reported since Monday. Virus-related deaths also increased to 583.
Gujarat is the second most affected state as it reported 5,804 cases so far, followed by Delhi with 4,898 cases, according to the Health Ministry data. Tamil Nadu saw a record high number of cases after 527 people tested positive for Covid-19 in last 24 hours, taking the total to 3,550. The death toll in the state increased to 31 after one new death was reported since Monday.
The government on Tuesday suspended all existing visas granted to foreign nationals, barring a few categories, till international air travel to and from India remains shut due to the coronavirus pandemic, an order by the Ministry of Home Affairs said. The ministry also said it has kept in abeyance multiple-entry life-long visas given to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders till international travel remains suspended.
The Ministry of Home Affairs also issued a standard operating protocol (SOP) for the return of Indians stranded abroad and those who are stuck in India and wish to travel to international destinations for urgent reasons. In an order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said priority will be given for return to India to compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers, labourers who have been laid off and those faced with expiry of short term visas.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra closed all its non-essential stores and liquor shops as coronavirus cases climbed to 15,525 in the state on Tuesday. As many as 841 new Covid-19 cases and 34 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours in the state. The death toll in the state touched 617. Mumbai alone reported 26 deaths since Monday.
PM Modi reviews status of vaccine development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reviewed the current status of India's efforts in coronavirus vaccine development, drug discovery, diagnosis and testing. He chaired a meeting of a task force on coronavirus vaccine development. The review by the prime minister took note of the extraordinary coming together of academia, industry and government, combined with speedy but efficient regulatory process, an official statement said.
State-wise tally of cases:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 33
Andhra Pradesh – 1,717
Arunachal Pradesh - 1
Assam - 43
Bihar - 529
Chandigarh - 102
Chhattisgarh - 58
Delhi – 4,898
Goa - 7
Gujarat – 5,804
Haryana - 517
Himachal Pradesh - 41
Jammu and Kashmir - 726
Jharkhand - 115
Karnataka - 659
Kerala - 500
Ladakh - 41
Madhya Pradesh – 3,049
Maharashtra – 14,541
Manipur - 2
Meghalaya - 12
Mizoram - 1
Odisha - 170
Puducherry - 9
Punjab – 1,233
Rajasthan – 3,061
Tamil Nadu – 3,550
Telangana - 1,085
Tripura - 29
Uttarakhand - 60
Uttar Pradesh - 2,859
West Bengal – 1,259
