Coronavirus India Live Updates: India on Sunday reported 1,52,879 new Covid-19 cases and 839 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.
The total number of cases in the country now stand at 1,33,58,805 and the death toll has risen to 1,69,275. There are 11,08,087 active cases at present while as many as 1,20,81,443 people have recovered from the disease. At least 10,15,95,147 people have been administered the Covid-19 vaccine
Meanwhile, a four-day long 'Tika Utsav (vaccine festival)' for COVID-19 (from April 11 (Jyotirao Phule's birth anniversary) to April 14 (B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary)) is being held across the country from Sunday, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with state chief ministers to help people eligible for vaccination to get immunised during the period. "We're going to begin 'Tika Utsav' today nationwide. I urge countrymen to abide by 4 things - assist those who need help getting inoculated, help people in COVID treatment, wear masks & motivate others & if someone tests positive, create micro-containment zone in the area," Modi said on Sunday.
As India opened up vaccination on April 1 for everyone above 45 years, Maharashtra, now reporting a shortage of vaccines at several sites, had administered 31.74 lakh doses in the first nine days of Phase 3. This was a staggering 96.39 percent increase compared with the preceding nine-day period, scrutiny of official data reveals.
Significantly, the increase in Maharashtra was higher than the national trend - which stood at 89.48 percent for the same period. This exponential increase in the state at the beginning of Phase 3 indicates that the sudden demand for the vaccine is a key reason behind certain vaccination centres facing a shortage of stock in the state.
