According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 18,327 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours

Five states have continued to report a higher number of Covid-19 daily cases. Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu cumulatively account for 82% of the new cases reported in the past 24 hours.

Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 10,216 followed by Kerala with 2,776 while Punjab reported 808 new cases.

Eight states are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases.

India’s total Active Caseload reached 1,80,304 on Saturday. India’s present active caseload now stands at 1.61% of India’s total positive cases.

On the other hand, 21 States/Union Territories have less than 1,000 active cases. Arunachal Pradesh has reported only three active cases.

The Health Ministry noted that Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu show a reduction in the active cases in the last 24 hours.

On the other hand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana display a rise in the active cases during the same time period.

The second dose of COVID19 vaccination started on 13th February for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the 1st dose. Vaccination of the FLWs started on 2nd Feb 2021.

The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination commenced from 1st March, 2021 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified comorbid conditions.

More than 1.94 crore (1,94,97,704) vaccine doses have been administered through 3,57,478 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am. These include 69,15,661 HCWs (1st dose), 33,56,830 HCWs (2nd dose), 63,55,989 FLWs (1st dose) and 1,44,191 FLWs (2nd Dose), 3,46,758 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific comorbidities (1st Dose) and 23,78,275 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

As on Day-49 of the vaccination drive (5th March), total 14,92,201 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 11,99,848 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 18,333 sessions for 1st dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 2,92,353 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine.

Meanwhile, 108 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

Six States account for 85.2%of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (53). Kerala follows with 16 daily deaths andPunjabreported11 deaths in the last 24 hours.

In the last 24 hours, eighteen States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 deaths.

These are Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, Ladakh (UT), Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haweli.