A suspected Covid-19 patient waits in an autorickshaw at a Covid-19 centre in Mumbai, on April 21, 2021.PHOTO: EPA-EFE
NEW DELHI: India's daily COVID caseload continued to remain highest in the world with over 3.32 lakh new cases in the last 24 hours. At least 2,263 patients are reported to have died due to the virus infection during the same period, taking the death toll to 186,920, according to the Health Ministry COVID dashboard.
On Friday, it added 3,32,730 cases, the highest in a day so far, to take its total caseload to 1,62,63,695 since the pandemic broke out in January 2020. The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases.
According to Thursday evening's tally, the maximum number of deaths was reported from Maharashtra at 568, followed by Delhi with 306 daily deaths.
This is the ninth consecutive day the country has recorded over 2 lakh coronavirus cases. As many as 1,36,48,159 patients have recovered from the disease so far, while there are 24,28,616 active cases.
On Friday, a top hospital in the national Capital said that 25 "sickest" patients had died in the past 24 hours and that the hospital's oxygen stock will last for only two more hours. The lives of 60 more patients were at risk, the hospital added.
Concerns about the alarming surge in the cases in India have also forced some countries to impose travel restrictions on India. While the UAE suspended all flights from India, including transit passengers, Canada will ban passenger flights from India and Pakistan from today for 30 days.
Calling the current public health crisis a "national emergency", the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to come up with a 'national plan' on the supply of Covid care essentials, such as oxygen, medicines, vaccination etc.
The apex court will take up the matter for hearing again on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that he will hold a series of high-level meetings on Friday to review the COVID-19 situation in the country.