India’s COVID-19 tally crossed 1.5 lakh on Wednesday with more than 6,000 new cases getting detected across states, but the government said the recovery rate has improved further to over 42 per cent now. The death toll also rose to at least 4,337.
While more than 64,000 people have been cured or discharged so far, over 83,000 are undergoing treatment, according to the Union Health Ministry figures.
In its morning update, the ministry said the total number of cases has increased to 1,51,767 and the death toll to 4,337, registering an increase of 6,387 cases and 170 deaths in 24 hours since Tuesday 8 AM.
“Around 42.45 per cent patients have recovered so far,” a senior health ministry official said.
The national capital saw its tally of confirmed cases rising to 15,257 with 792 fresh cases getting detected — its highest single-day spike. The death toll in Delhi has also risen to 303.
Tamil Nadu also recorded its biggest single-day spike with 817 new cases, including those having returned from other states, taking its total count to 18,545. It also reported six more deaths, taking its death toll to 133.
New cases were reported from various other states and union territories as well, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
The COVID-19 tally in Kerala crossed the 1,000-mark after 40 people, including 37 returnees from abroad and other states, tested positive. While Kerala was the first state in India to report a COVID-19 case on January 30, it had almost flattened the curve of the virus spread till arrival of people from outside began earlier this month.
Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan said 445 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals at present, while more than 1.7 lakh are under observation. A total of 552 people have been cured, while there have been six fatalities so far in the state.
Tripura also reported 23 new cases and officials said the majority of the recent cases have been detected among people returning from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and other states.
Odisha reported 76 new cases, of which 74 people had returned from other states and were staying in different quarantine centres.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state considers ferrying of a large number of migrant workers by trains as a big problem for public health, as she sought Prime Minister NarendraModi’s intervention in the matter.
Those returning from the coronavirus hotspot states of Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will have to go for a 14-day institutional quarantine, Banerjee said.
The state government also announced that all schools will remain closed till June 30. Earlier, they were scheduled to remain closed till June 30.