India’s daily Covid-19 count went past 3.4 lakh mark on Friday with several States registering new peaks and death rate steadily picking up.
The crisis in Maharashtra deepened further on Friday as the pandemic claimed a disturbing 773 lives and left 66,836 people infected in various parts of the state.
The country recorded 3,44,949 many cases and 2,620 deaths during the last 24 hours,While Maharashtra didn’t cross the previous day high, States such as Kerala (28,447 new cases), Karnataka (26,962), Uttar Pradesh (36,605), Rajasthan (15,398), Madhya Pradesh (13,590 new case) registered new peaks, clearly indicating that corornavirus continued to spread with the same aggression as before despite lockdown and restrictions.
A day after, Maharashtra recorded 568 deaths for the second consecutive day, the daily Covid-19 toll shot up to 773, sending the health authorities into a state of acute anxiety.
With 774 new deaths, the total number of deaths in the State climbed from 62,479 to 63,252.
Similarly, with 66,836 fresh infections reported on Thursday, the total number of cases in the state increased from 40,94,840 to 41,61.676.
As 74,045 patients were discharged from the hospitals across the State after full recovery, the total number of people discharged from the hospitals since the second week of March last year went up to 34,04.792. The recovery rate in the state for the first time in several days rose from 81.34 per cent to 81.81 per cent.
The total “active cases” in the State dropped from 6,99,858 to 6,91,851. The fatality rate in the State dropped from 1.53 per cent to 1.52 per cent.
With 72 fresh deaths, the Covid-19 toll in Mumbai rose from 12,583 to 12,655, while the infected cases went up by 7199 to trigger a jump in the infections from 6,09,080 to 6,16,279.
Coronavirus infection continued to play havoc in Uttar Pradesh as 199 people died of this infection in the last 24 hours taking the total toll in UP to 10,737.
The Government claims that 37,238 fresh infections were reported in the last 24 hour. It further said there are more than 2.5 lakh active cases in the state of which 70 per cent of people are in home isolation.
Lucknow, recorded 5,682 new infections in the last 24 hours but 7,165 people have been discharged during the same period.
A report from Gonda said that Covid testing samples at the district hospital were found destroyed by stray animals. A video has gone viral with cardboard boxes strewn around. It is claimed that those boxes contained corona testing samples, but the government officials have refused to confirm this.
A probe has been ordered in this connection by District Magistrate Markandey Sahi. He said such a video was a move to demoralise the health workers who are doing an excellent job to save the lives of the people.
A report from Etawah said eight doctors at Saifai Medical University, have been infected with corona. A total of 191 corona positive cases were found in Etawah on Thursday and of these, 75 cases belong to the staff of Saifai Medical University alone. The Covid-19 cases in Kerala continued unabated on Friday too despite the stringent controls announced by the State administration. Kerala tested 28,447 new Covid cases on Friday while 27 persons succumbed to the pandemic during the last 24 hours, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Vijayan who met media persons on Friday evening quoted from all medical journals and pleaded with the people to cooperate with him in bringing down the Covid curve. I told the Prime Minister this morning that the State needs Rs 1,500 crore to provide Covid-19 vaccine to all the people. The Centre should pay this amount or provide us with free vaccines. It is impossible for the State to buy the vaccines from private companies by paying exorbitant prices,” said Vijayan.
The Chief Minister said that during the video conference, he shared his expertise with the Prime Minister. Vijayan turned emotional when he recounted the incident of Subaida, a Muslim woman from Kollam, sending him her life savings of Rs 5,000 to purchase vaccine from the open market. “Last year Subaida had sold her sheep and sent me the money towards the Covid fund of the State. This is the state of financial affairs in Kerala,” he said.
Vijayan said though there would not be any lockdown in the State, the next two days (Saturday and Sunday) would see strict measures being followed all over Kerala. “This is to control crowding by people. Only those people who have to attend to emergency works would be allowed outside. Those who come out of their houses and places of residents should have authorization letters in which the purpose is written and signed by competent authorities,” said the chief minister.
There was no let-up in the number of Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu as the State diagnosed 13,776 new cases on Friday. The last 24 hours saw the pandemic claiming 78 lives across the State.
Capital city of Chennai continued to be the hot spot as 3,842 new persons were diagnosed with the disease. Neighbouring Chengalpattu registered 985 new cases while Coimbatore, the industrial hub of South India saw the number of patients going up by 889. Thiruvallur, another neighbouring district of Chennai saw the pandemic continuing unabated with 807 new cases.
The State continued with massive testing and on Friday more than 1.25 lakh persons were tested as part of the Mass Test programme. The Government informed the Madras High Court that the State has sufficient stock of vaccines, oxygen and hospital to take on any emergency measures.
