India has experienced a surge in daily Covid cases, reaching the highest number in over four months, with over 800 new cases reported within the past 24 hours. The Union health ministry's recent data indicates that the active caseload has now risen to 5,389, following the 841 fresh infections. As per official records updated at 8 am on Saturday, the country's caseload has increased to 4.46 crore (4,46,94,349).
Kerala has reconciled two deaths, while Jharkhand and Maharashtra each reported one death. There has been a six-fold increase in India's daily average new Covid cases in the past month, with an average of 112 daily new cases in February, and now 626 new cases daily in March.
To mitigate the sudden increase in viral infection, the Centre has sent a written correspondence to six states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, advising them to prioritize testing, treating, tracking, and vaccination measures. The health ministry's letter urged the states to adopt a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain possible localized spread of the virus, without compromising the gains made in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had also written a letter to states and union territories, highlighting a gradual rise in Covid test positivity rates in some states, emphasizing the importance of promptly addressing the concerning issue.
