The coronavirus continues to pummel India as the country on Sunday recorded 4,03,738 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours with 4,092 fatalities, taking the total number of cases in the country to 2,22,96,414, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. It is the fifth time after May 1 that India has crossed the four-lakh mark of new Covid cases. On Friday, India recorded the highest ever 4,14,188 cases. In the past 17 days, India's daily Covid tally has risen by over three lakh cases and over 3,000 casualties have been reported for the last 11 days.
India's total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,22,96,414 with 37,36,648 active cases and a total of 2,42,362 deaths so far.
The number of recoveries, however, is also showing a better sign for the nation as a total of 3,86,444 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, while 1,83,17,404 people have been cured of Covid to date.
Meanwhile, a total of 16,94,39,663 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 20,23,532, who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 30,22,75,471 samples have been tested up to May 8 for Covid-19. Of these 18,65,428 samples were tested on Saturday.
India has received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, 467 ventilators and three oxygen generation plants from the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands and Israel on Friday, the government informed.
India has been getting international donations and assistance for Covid-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27, 2021, from different countries and organisations, stated the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.
"Cumulatively, 6608 Oxygen Concentrators, 3856 Oxygen Cylinders, 14 Oxygen Generation Plants, 4330 ventilators/Bi-PAP and about three lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched, from April 27, 2021, to May 7, 2021," it said.
World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, has stated the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19, which was first detected in October 2020, was a contributing factor to the huge surge in cases.
Several states have announced lockdowns, while opposition leaders have requested PM Modi to impose a nationwide lockdown.
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On Saturday, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that more than 9 lakh patients are on oxygen support, adding that shortage of medical oxygen has been the biggest challenge that India is facing during the second Covid wave.