Maharashtra accounts for nearly 61% of India`s COVID-19 cases: Health Ministry

Maharashtra accounts for nearly 61 per cent of the daily new COVID-19 cases in India, the Centre observed that Maharashtra is on the verge of a second wave with highest single day infections reported since September.

Mumbai: Maharashtra accounts for nearly 61 per cent of the daily new COVID-19 cases in India, the Union Health Ministry informed on Wednesday (March 17, 2021). Nearly 61% of infections and 46% of deaths were reported in the past 24 hours from Maharahstra making it the country’s worst affected state.

The Centre observed that Maharashtra is on the verge of a second wave with highest single day infections reported since September.

“Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab account for 76.4 per cent of India’s total active cases, with Maharashtra alone contributing nearly 60 per cent,” the ministry said.

The Centre claimed the reason for the spike is a general reluctance to wear masks and it ruled out the mutated strains of the virus as a been a factor. Maharashtra, home to India’s commercial capital of Mumbai, is among the states that have already tightened rules to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, India’s total active caseload has reached 2,34,406 comprising 2.05 per cent of the total infections.

The spike is predominantly in Nagpur and Amravati divisions while Mumbai and Pune were witnessing a sudden rise in coronavirus cases every day, the daily number of cases in Nagpur have exceeded that in Mumbai and have made the district a hotspot.