Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, continue to report a surge in the Covid daily new cases. 79.57% of the new cases are reported from these 6 states. In all 62,258 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 36,902. It is followed by Punjab with 3,122 while Chhattisgarh reported 2,665 new cases. India’s total active caseload has reached 4,52,647 on Saturday.
The present active caseload now stands at 3.8% of India’s total positive cases. A net incline of 31,581 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra (62.69%), Kerala (5.43%) and Punjab (5%) cumulatively account for 73% of the total active cases in the country.
According to the union health ministry, India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,12,95,023 on Saturday. The national recovery rate is 94.84%. In all 30,386 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 17,019 newly recovered cases.
Further, 291 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Five States account for 75.6%of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (112). Punjab follows with 59 daily deaths. The ministry said two mutant strains of coronavirus – E484Q and L452R – are behind the sudden spike in the number of daily cases across Maharashtra.
Last month, two strains were discovered in Yavatmal and Amravati. Such mutations can escape neutralizing antibodies in the host, reinfect and cause increased infectivity. The state’s Covid-19 taskforce too has cited the same reason for the surge, saying these variants are more transmissible but cause less fatality
