New Delhi: In the last 24 hours, India has recorded over 72,000 COVID cases on Thursday. Of the 72,330 new infections, 39,544 were from Maharashtra, 4,563 cases were from Chhattisgarh and south India’s Karnataka reported over 4,000 cases.
The country also reported 459 deaths, the highest since December 5, 2020. Apart from Maharashtra, which reported 243 deaths, Punjab (55), Chhattisgarh (39), Karnataka (26) and Tamil Nadu (19) were the other big contributors. At least 14 states reported zero deaths on Wednesday.
The third phase of India’s COVID vaccination drive begins Thursday, with everyone above the age of 45 eligible for the shot. It will cover the population which is at the highest risk — 90 per cent of deaths related to the disease in India have been in the category of those above the age of 45. The government of India has instructed states to ensure all districts with high caseloads achieve 100 per cent vaccination coverage in the next two weeks.
Now, as state governments begin imposing restrictions, mobility indicators predict a potential dent in the uptick in business activity, especially in the services sector. While Maharashtra has imposed localised restrictions for public places like restaurants, gardens, parks, malls and beaches, states like Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have imposed night curfews, and Uttarakhand and Gujarat have made COVID testing mandatory for those entering the regions from outside.
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