India reports 60,471 new cases and 2,726 cases
India’s daily rise in Covid cases remained below the 1 lakh-mark for eight straight day with 60,471 new infections. After health infrastructure was strained by the second Covid wave, states are taking strong measures in anticipation of a third wave.
The country’s daily Covid cases hit record high on May 7 when 4.14 lakh infections were reported. Today’s daily rise is the lowest since March 31. The positivity rate stood at 3.45 per cent. 2.95 crore total cases have reported so far and over 3.7 lakh people have died; 2,726 people died since yesterday.
Delhi, Haryana and several other states have eased restrictions amid drop in cases. On Monday, Bengal extended curbs for two more weeks. But factories have been allowed to open.
Maharashtra, which has the highest overall caseload in the country, on Monday recorded 8,129 cases, the lowest daily rise in over 3 months. Mumbai’s Dharavi for the first time recorded no new cases since the second wave had hit the state.
Delta variant has sparked huge concerns in many countries. While one study has claimed vaccines by Pfizer and AstraZeneca protect against the variant, Public Health England has said two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are “highly effective” in preventing hospital admission. With a double dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot, the rate was 92 percent, the PHE added.