Tika Utsav: India reports 1,61,736 new COVID-19 cases, 40 lakh doses administered in the last 24 hours

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: The four-day-long `Tika Utsav`, a mass COVID-19 vaccine programme, on Tuesday (April 13) marked the third day with India's cumulative vaccination coverage exceeding 10.85 crores (10,85,33,085), while over 40 lakh doses were administered in the last 24 hours, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The four-day-long `Tika Utsav` started in the country on Sunday (Jyotirao Phule`s birth anniversary) to April 14 (BR Ambedkar`s birth anniversary), following Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s call for the same. From April 2, the government started vaccinating all people above 45 years. 

India's vaccination drive started on January 16 with priority given to all healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase. The second phase started on March 1 where doses were administered to people above the age of 60 and those between 45 and 59 years with specific comorbidities. 

According to the Union Health Ministry, India reported over 1.61 lakh new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. With the country reporting 1,61,736 new COVID-19 cases, the total number of cases has gone up to 1,36,89,453. 

In the last 24 hours, 879 COVID-related deaths were reported in the country, taking the COVID death toll to 1,71,058. The active number of cases stands at 12,64,698. In the last 24 hours, 97,168 people recovered from the disease, while the total recoveries stood at 1,22,53,697.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on Monday approved the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus in the country. Now, India has three vaccines Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V for its inoculation programme against COVID-19. 

Ten states account for over 80% of new cases

Notably, ten states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kerala have shown a rise in the COVID-19 daily cases accounting for 80.80 per cent of the new infections reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

A total of 1,61,736 new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 51,751, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 13,604 while Chhattisgarh reported 13,576 new cases.

India's total active caseload has reached 12,64,698 which now comprises 9.24 per cent of the country's total infections. A net increase of 63,689 cases recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The five states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala cumulatively account for 68.85 per cent of India's total Active Cases. Maharashtra alone accounts for 44.78 per cent of the total active caseload of the country.

Sixteen states-- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases.

Ten states account for 88.05 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (258). Chhattisgarh follows with 132 daily deaths. 

Thirteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in 24 hours. These are Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Ladakh, Daman, and Diu & Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Arunachal Pradesh.

(With Agency Inputs)