Corona update: India Breaches 1 Lakh Count for the Fourth Time; “Consider 11 April-14 April as Tika Utsav”, Says PM Modi in the Meet

New Delhi: In a meeting with the Chief Ministers of the states and UTs yesterday, the PM listed measures that need to be taken to defeat the virus. He stressed the need for creating micro-containment zones and extensive testing as a means to combat the second wave of Coronavirus after the cumulative count of the nation stood at 1,30,57,954.

India reported 1,31,968 Covid-19 cases in a span of 24 hours ending 9 am Friday, the highest number of daily cases ever since the pandemic began. . This is the fourth time in the second wave season that the Union Health ministry reported a breach beyond 1 lakh per day. Nearly 800 were reported dead due to the virus. 61,829 individuals recuperated after hospital treatment and are under isolation.

In the meet, PM said states should observe a “tika Utsav”, or ”vaccine festival”, between April 11 and 14 to inoculate the maximum number of eligible beneficiaries. Notably, PM Modi called for a “vaccination utsav” between the birth anniversaries of icons Jyotiba Phule (Aprill 11) and B R Ambedkar (April 14).

Several districts in Maharashtra have stopped vaccinations completely as they have run out of vaccine doses. Mumbai and Navi Mumbai have shut more than 20 vaccination centers to cope with the shortage. The state’s Home Minister has made an appeal to the center to ramp up vaccinations. Mumbai reported 8,938 new COVID-19 cases today, a drop from over 10,000 infections each in the previous two days.

Meanwhile, India is on alert following reports of AstraZeneca’s vaccine being linked to rare blood clots. The country’s top committee for post-immunisation adverse reactions is widening its review of data related to side effects following vaccination with Covishield and Covaxin to understand whether there are similar red flags.