84.5 pct of new COVID-19 cases reported from 8 states in last 24 hours in India

New Delhi [India], March 29 : Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh have reported a high number of daily new COVID-19 cases and they account for 84.5 per cent of the new infections reported in the last 24 hours, the health ministry informed on Monday.
According to the health ministry, India registered 68,020 new cases in the last 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra reported the highest daily new cases at 40,414, followed by Karnataka with 3,082 while Punjab reported 2,870 new cases.
"India's total active caseload has reached 5,21,808 today. India's present active caseload now stands at 4.33 per cent of India's total positive cases. A net incline of 35,498 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.
The four states -- Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh -- cumulatively account for 80.17 per cent of the total active cases in the country.
"Seventeen states and UTs have lower cases per million than the national average (8,724) and nineteen states and UTs have a higher case per million than the national average," it said.
India's cumulative recoveries stand at 1,13,55,993 today with 32,231 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said. The national recovery rate is 94.32 per cent.
Maharashtra has reported the maximum number of single-day recoveries with 17,874 newly recovered cases.
291 deaths were reported across the country in the last 24 hours.
Seven states account for 81.79 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (108). Punjab follows with 69 daily deaths.
Eighteen states and UTs have lower deaths per million than the national average (117).
Similarly, eighteen states and UTs have higher deaths per million than the national average.
Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Puducherry, Ladakh (UT), Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
On the other hand, the total vaccination coverage in India has crossed 6 crores.
Eight states account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far in India.
As on Day-72 of the vaccination drive, total 2,60,653 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 2,18,798 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 7,465 sessions for first dose and 41,855 HCWs and FLWs received the second dose of vaccine.
The country started its vaccination drive on January 16 with priority given to all healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase. The second phase started on March 1 where doses are being administered to people above the age of 60 and those between 45 and 59 years with specific comorbidities. From April 1, the government has decided to vaccinate all above 45 years.