Covid-19| Maharashtra Has Reported Highest Weekly Positivity Rate: Health Ministry

Amid a recent upsurge in coronavirus cases in the country, five states account for 84.16 percent of the active caseload, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, a large chunk of those cases has been reported in Maharashtra and Kerala, with the two states accounting for 67.84 percent of the national caseload.

India has 1.68 lakh active coronavirus cases, officials said adding that six states and UTs-- Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Chandigarh, Punjab and Gujarat have a weekly positivity rate higher than the national average of 2 per cent.

Of these, Maharashtra has reported the highest weekly positivity rate (10.02 percent), the ministry said.

India's total Covid19 active caseload stands at 1,68,358 as the country added 12,286 new cases in a span of 24 hours. The country's present active caseload now consists of 1.51 per cent of India's total infections.

The ministry said 80.33 per cent of the new cases are from five states.

Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,397. It is followed by Kerala with 1,938 while Punjab reported 633 new cases.

The Centre is continuously engaging with the states and UTs manifesting higher caseload of active cases and those reporting a rise in the daily new Covid-19 cases.

"They have been advised to maintain a continued rigorous vigil for containing the spread of Covid-19. Need for effective testing, comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation of positive cases and quick quarantine of close contacts are strongly emphasized," the ministry said.

"Eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases," it highlighted.

Five states --Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Tamil Nadu cumulatively account for 84.16 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra alone accounts for 46.82 per cent of India's total active cases, followed by Kerala with 28.61 per cent.

A total of 1,48,54,136 vaccine doses have been administered as per the provisional report till Tuesday 7 am.

These include 67,04,613 Healthcare workers (HCW)s who got 1st dose, 25,97,799 HCWs (2nd dose) and 53,44,453 frontline workers (FLW)s who got 1st dose, 24,279 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st dose) and 1,82,992 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

The 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccination started on February 13 for those beneficiaries who had completed 28 days after receipt of the 1st dose. Vaccination of the frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.

The total Covid-19 recoveries have surged to 1,07,98,921 with 12,464 patients having been discharged in a span of 24 hours.

"India's recovery rate at 97.07 per cent continues to be amongst the highest in the world," the ministry said adding 86.55 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 6 states.

Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries with 5,754 newly recovered cases. A total of 3,475 people recovered in Kerala in a span of 24 hours followed by 482 in Tamil Nadu.

Besides, 91 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours.

Six states account for 85.71 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (30). Punjab follows with 18 daily deaths. Kerala reported 13 deaths.

Nineteen states and UTs have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours. These are West Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Lakshadweep, Ladakh (UT), Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, D&D & D&N and Arunachal Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)