India reported 3,48,421 new Covid-19 cases and 4,205 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Wednesday, as per the Union Health Ministry. Also, as many as 3,55,338 people were discharged during the same period. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 2,33,40,938, out of which, 37,04,099 are active cases, 2,54,197 people have lost their lives while 1,93,82,642 have recovered.

Active cases declined for the second straight day, for the first time since March 9. Maharashtra reported about 41,000 cases, much lower than its average in the last few weeks. Karnataka, Kerala continue to report around 40,000 cases each. Of the 4,205 deaths reported on Tuesday, the highest ever, Maharashtra reported more than 800 deaths. Six states – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, apart from Maharashtra – reporting more than 200 deaths a day.

As many as 533 of the country’s 700-plus districts are now reporting a test positivity rate of more than 10 per cent, the government said on Tuesday, underlining the massive spread of the coronavirus infection in rural India in the second wave. A total 13 states have more than 1 lakh active cases; six states have 50,000 to 1 lakh active cases; and 17 states have fewer than 50,000 active cases, the Centre said. The total active case count across the country is now more than 37 lakh.

Also, according to the latest government data, the top five states on the Covid chart, which account for 54 per cent of the total active cases in the country, get only 42 per cent of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) allocated by the Centre to 33 states and Union Territories.

Meanwhile, the deepening of fear in the countryside with the rapid spread of Covid-19 in rural areas is likely to further delay the recovery of the services sectors. Some economists hence worry that the impact of the unfolding second wave, with stringent lockdowns in several states, will likely be higher than the last time around.

Source: The Indian Express