In another devastating record, 2,104 Indians lost their lives to the disease in the last 24 hours.
Struggling to contain the rapidly surging second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, India saw a record spike in infections with 3.14 lakh new cases, the world’s biggest-ever daily surge, taking the caseload to 1.59 crore. In another devastating record, 2,104 Indians lost their lives to the disease in the last 24 hours.
India is facing probably the most grave health challenge of recent years as shortage of recent years with the shortage of medical oxygen, hospital beds and anti-viral drug Remdesivir, used in the treatment of Covid, make the matters worst.
The new daily cases numbers surpass the previous highest one-day rise in the world of 2,97,430 cases posted by the United States in January, news agency Reuters reported. 1.84 lakh people have died so far in India due to the novel Coronavirus.
The centre has assured that “oxygen demand and supply is being monitored round the clock”. In a tweet last night, health minister Harsh Vardhan said the government has increased “quota of oxygen” for seven states- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi.
Since April 15, over 2 lakh infections are being recorded everyday in India. The centre says the second wave is yet to peak, while the experts are not sure when the cases will decline. Maharashtra (67,468), Uttar Pradesh (33,106), Delhi (24,638), Karnataka (23,558) and Kerala (22,414) were the five states that recorded the biggest surge in 24 hours.
Delhi’s serious oxygen crisis resonated in the High Court on Wednesday as the judges rebuked the centre and asked some pertinent questions, demanding why it was “not waking up to reality”.
While hearing an appeal by the Max Group, which had flagged oxygen crisis in two of its hospitals earlier in the afternoon, the court said: “How is the government so oblivious to the reality on ground? You can’t have people die because there is no oxygen.”
Sixth phase of polling is being held today in West Bengal for the assembly election. Depsite being criticised for the campaign rallies amid the Covid-19 crisis, neither the Election Commission not the politicians have cancelled the public addresses.
Union Minister Amit Shah will attend three poll meetings today. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold four public meetings in north and central Bengal.
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