India reports world's highest single-day spike with 3.14 lakh COVID-19 cases

New Delhi: India reported the world's highest-ever single-day surge with 3,14,835 new cases, pushing the total infections to 1,59,30,965, Union Health Ministry data reported on Thursday.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (USCDC), the new cases are the highest single-day rise reported anywhere in the world. The highest yet for the USA was +3,13,310 on January 8, 2021.

In yet another record, 2,104 deaths were reported in the past 24 hrs, taking the overall death toll to 1,84,657.With 1,78,841 patients having treated since Wednesday, the total number of recoveries now stands at 1,34,54,880. The country currently has 22,91,428 active cases.

States like Maharashtra reported 67.5k new cases, Uttar Pradesh 33.1k, Delhi 24.6k, Karnataka 23.6k in one day.

In view of the continuous surge in infection cases, The Maharashtra government has announced fresh restrictions on office attendance, marriage ceremonies and travel. The new set of restrictions will come into effect from 2000 hrs on Thursday and will remain in force until 0700 hrs on May 1. Goa also decided to impose a night curfew till April 30 to tackle the pandemic.

Meanwhile, several small hospitals in Delhi struggled to replenish oxygen supply for coronavirus patients on Thursday morning, even as some big healthcare facilities received fresh stock overnight.

Hospitals in the city have been grappling with a shortage of oxygen supply amid spiralling COVID-19 cases. The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday night ordered the Centre to "forthwith" provide oxygen by whatever means to hospitals here facing shortage of the gas in treating serious COVID-19 patients.

Despite the rising number of cases, polling is underway in West Bengal, which registered its highest-ever single-day spike, with 9,819 people testing positive.

In other news, twenty-four Covid-19 patients died at a hospital run by the Nashik Municipal Corporation on Wednesday after oxygen supply was disrupted due to a leakage in the main oxygen storage tank.

On the vaccination front, total 13,23,30,644 people have been administered COVID-19 jabs since January 16, with 22,11,334 people being inoculated since yesterday.Presently, India is accounting for 40 per cent of world's infections.(UNI)