As India hit a record high with 2,00,739 new Covid-19 cases in a single day, hospitals were left jostling for beds and oxygen supplies.
At Delhi’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP), one of the country’s largest Covid-only centres with more than 1,500 beds, patients were forced to share beds as the casualty ward overflowed, while bodies of the deceased lay outside the ward. Suresh Kumar, the hospital’s medical director, told a news agency that the hospital is overburdened and the fast-spreading new variants which escape Covid tests are only adding to the burden.
A similar situation was reported from a government hospital in Nagpur, which is in the worst-affected state of Maharashtra. Avinash Gawande, a hospital official, told Reuters, “We are a 900-bed hospital but there are about 60 patients waiting and we don’t have space for them.”
After oxygen supplies of oxygen ran short in states such as Gujarat, despite the country producing oxygen at full capacity for the last two days, India might have to turn to imports. The Union Health Ministry has stated that it is planning to import 50,000 metric tons, while Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries will supply 100 metric tonnes of additional oxygen to Maharashtra, informed a state minister.
In the last 24 hours, India also saw 1,038 deaths, which pushed the total number of deaths to 173,123. “If such conditions persist, the death toll will rise,” wrote the head of a medical body in Ahmedabad to the state’s chief minister in a letter.
The country’s caseload has increased to 1,40,74,564. The health ministry data showed that there are 14,71,877 active Covid cases in the country, while 1,24,29,564 patients have recovered from the deadly disease.
Maharashtra reported a total of 61,695 new Covid-19 infections and 349 deaths in the last 24 hours. With the new cases, the total number of infections in the state has risen to 36,39,855. As many as 53,335 patients were discharged on Thursday, taking the total recoveries to 29,59,056. The death toll has mounted to 59,153, while there are currently 6,20,060 active cases in the state.
In Delhi, as many as 16,699 new Covid-19 cases and 112 deaths were reported in 24 hours, taking the total number of infections in the national capital to 784,137. With more people succumbing to the virus, the death toll has risen to 11,652. A total of 13,014 patients were also discharged, pushing the total recoveries to 718,176.
Meanwhile, CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew in Delhi to tackle the record rise in cases over the past few weeks. Essential activities, including weddings which have been planned, will be allowed with curfew passes. Auditoriums, malls, gyms and spas will be shut down and cinema theatres will be allowed to run at a third of their capacity.
A total of 2,220 new positive cases of coronavirus and nine deaths were reported in Uttarakhand in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases rose to 1,16,244. As many as 613 fresh cases were reported in the Haridwar district alone, where the Kumbh Mela is still taking place, pushing the case tally to 19,575.
Meanwhile, with 22,439 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh reported its highest-ever single-day spike. The viral disease also claimed as many as 114 lives in the state during the day.
West Bengal reported 6,769 fresh coronavirus cases, 2,387 recoveries and 22 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Andhra Pradesh reported 5,086 new Covid-19 cases, 1,745 recoveries and 14 deaths. With the new infections, the overall caseload in the state has reached 942,135, while the death toll has mounted to 7,353. The total recoveries stand at 903,072 and active cases at 31,710.
As many as 7,987 fresh cases of Covid-19 reported in Tamil Nadu within 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 962,935. Of the total cases, Chennai reported 2,558 infections. The state’s death toll mounted to 12,999 after 29 more people succumbed to the disease, while 4176 patients were discharged, taking the total recoveries to 8,91,839.
In Kerala, a total of 8,126 new Covid-19 cases and 20 deaths were reported. The test positivity rate was recorded at 13.34 percent. The total number of deaths in the state stands at 4,856. A total of 2,700 recoveries were also reported in the state in the past 24 hours.
