Covid-19 cases in India continue to surge as tally surpasses 5.4m
India's Covid-19 caseload exceeded 5.4 million infections on Monday, as the country has witnessed 86,961 fresh cases reported in previous last 24 hours.
Covid-19 cases in India continue to surge, with the country registering a spike of 86,961 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the health ministry. India's caseload now stands at 5,487,580.
The country has also reported 1,130 new Covid-19-related deaths, taking India's death toll up to 87,882. Meanwhile, 93,356 patients have recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours.
The health ministry also revealed that it has been collecting 1.2 million samples - the highest daily count - since Saturday, which brings the total samples collected so far to 63.7 million.
10 states comprise 77% of the active cases:
In light of the continuous surge, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has denied the fear that the country has reached the community transmission stage, as he explained that "only 10 states are reporting maximum cases", with most cases concentrated in a few districts. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh remain on top of the list of the worst-hit states during the pandemic, as the four states account for the most new cases and fatalities reported.
"Large outbreaks in certain districts indicate an acute spread... only 10 states are contributing 77% of active cases. If you see state-specific data, you will find that these cases are concentrated in few districts," Dr. Vardhan said.