3,722 fresh cases, India close to 80K-mark

Country to complete 2 million Covid tests: Harsh Vardhan

NEW DELHI: With 3,722 fresh cases in a day, the tally of COVID-19 cases in India approached the 80,000-mark as total numbers climbed to 78,003 on Thursday. With 1,849 new recoveries in the last 24 hours, the number of cured patients rose to 26,235 and 134 new fatalities reported as toll reached at 2,549. However, the recovery rate has improved to 33.63 per cent from 32.82 per cent.

Meanwhile, the ICMR has conducted total 19,47,041 tests so far at a total of 502 labs, including 356 government labs and 146 private labs. Notably, the ICMR has tested 92,791 samples in the last 24 hours.

Of the total 134 deaths, which were reported in the country since Wednesday morning, Maharashtra registered 54 deaths followed by Gujarat (29), Delhi (20), West Bengal (9), Madhya Pradesh (7), Rajasthan (4) and Tamil Nadu (3). Also, Telangana and Karnataka reported two deaths each and Andhra Pradesh, Bihar Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir reported one death each in the last 24 hours.

Of the 2,549 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 975 deaths. Gujarat comes second with 566 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 232, West Bengal at 207, Rajasthan at 121, Delhi at 106, Uttar Pradesh at 83, Tamil Nadu at 64, Andhra Pradesh at 47, Telangana at 34, Karnataka at 33 and Punjab at 32.

According to the Health ministry data, Maharashtra reported the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 25,922 followed by Gujarat at 9,267, Tamil Nadu at 9,227, Delhi at 7,998, Rajasthan at 4,328, Madhya Pradesh at 4,173, Uttar Pradesh at 3,729, West Bengal at 2,290, Andhra Pradesh at 2,137, Punjab at 1,924, Telangana at 1,367, Jammu & Kashmir at 971, Karnataka at 959, Bihar at 966.

Meanwhile, exuding confidence that India will achieve the testing capacity of 1 lakh COVID-19 tests per day before May 31, Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday said the country will reach the mark of 2 million (i.e. 20 lakh) Coronavirus tests on Thursday.

“Yesterday we have tested over 90,000 COVID-19 samples. We are continuously increasing our testing capacity. Though we had earlier said we will increase our testing capacity to 1 lakh tests per day before May 31, we will achieve it before the due date. Today, we will reach 2 million tests countrywide,” said Vardhan here at National Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC).