Lakh Vaccine Doses Administered On Friday, Highest So Far: Government

India reported 25,320 fresh cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours - the highest daily rise in nearly three months - taking the total tally to over 1.13 crore cases, the Health Ministry data this morning showed.

According to an official release, a total of 2,91,92,547 vaccine doses were administered in the country, as per the provisional report till 7 pm on Saturday. Of this, 8,05,014 beneficiaries were vaccinated for first dose and 1,69,076 heath care workers and frontline workers received second dose of vaccine as per the provisional report, the ministry said.

The situation in Maharashtra, which has consistently been reporting the highest number of cases in the country over the past one year, has been under scrutiny for a while with several districts imposing partial lockdowns and night curfews.

"These include 72,93,575 HCWs (1st dose), 41,94,030 HCWs (2nd dose), 72,35,745 FLWs (1st dose) and 9,48,923 FLWs (2nd dose), 12,54,468 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st dose) and 72,91,716 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years", it said.

India's caseload had been falling steadily since peaking in late September, but increased social gatherings and travel have caused a spike since early February, even as a nationwide vaccination campaign is underway.

Coronavirus surges in India to highest numbers in three months World3 days ago2:04

This is also the steepest hike in new infections in 2021.

The country now has 2,02,022 active cases.

As many as 20 States/UTs have less than 1,000 Active Cases. The load was 1,84,598 on Wednesday.

With 158 deaths in the last 24 hours, the overall death toll rose to 1,58,607.

Dr Dianne Stockton, the Public Health Scotland lead for the Covid-19 Vaccination Surveillance Programme, said the results were "encouraging", but stressed this should not make the public complacent.

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