India witnesses daily COVID cases fall, deaths still above 4,000
text_fields
New Delhi: India on Saturday registered a sharp decline in daily COVID cases with 2,57,299, the lowest rise in infection since April 21, even as 4,194 people died due to the pandemic in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry's database.
India's overall tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 2,62,89,290 with 29,23,400 active cases and 2,95,525 deaths so far.
With 36,184 cases reported in the past 24 hours, Tamil Nadu is leading the state list. It is followed by Karnataka with 32,218 new infections. Maharashtra reported 29,644 cases, Kerala 29,673 and Andhra Pradesh 20,937 cases. The case count was 19,006 for West Bengal
The six most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (5,527,092), Karnataka (2,367,742), Kerala (2,293,632), Tamil Nadu (1,770,988), Uttar Pradesh (1,659,265), and Andhra Pradesh (1,542,079).
As fatalities and infections remained high, Karnataka, Goa and Kerala on Friday announced an extension to their existing curbs. While Karnataka announced a 14-day extension till June 7, Goa extended its curfew till May 31. Kerala, meanwhile, extended the lockdown till May 30 but announced an easing of the "triple-lockdown" in three districts.
According to the Health Ministry, a total of 3,57,630 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 2,30,70,365 being cured of Covid to date.
The Health Ministry said that a total of 19,33,72,819 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 14,58,895 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.
India registered record deaths due to Covid on Wednesday with 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection in any country since the coronavirus outbreak was reported in China's Wuhan in December 2019.
It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6. These three are the worst hit by the pandemic.
After battling a brutal second wave for weeks, fresh Covid cases came down below the three lakh mark for the first time on May 17 after touching a record high of 4,14,188 on May 7.
