New Delhi: More than 20 lakh people were inoculated against coronavirus March 8. It is the highest number of jabs in a day so far. The new additions took the total number of vaccine doses administered in India to over 2.3 crore, the Union Health Ministry said Tuesday. As on day-52 of the COVID-19 vaccination drive (March 8), 20,19,723 vaccine doses were given the Health Ministry said.
Out of which, 17,15,380 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 28,884 sessions for 1st dose and 3,04,343 healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) received 2nd dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine, the ministry stated. The 17,15,380 beneficiaries include 12,22,351 aged over 60 years and 2,21,148 aged 45 to 60 with specified comorbidities.
“India has recorded a significant achievement in its countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive which was rolled out from January 16. More than 2 million vaccine doses were administered in a span of 24 hours,” the Health Ministry said. A total of 2,30,08,733 vaccine doses have been administered through 4,05,517 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7.00am Tuesday,” it added.
Also read: India’s vaccination rate fastest in the world: Health Ministry
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka continue to report a surge in the COVID-19 daily new cases. They cumulatively account for 84.04 per cent of the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours.
A total 15,388 new infections were registered in a span of 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 8,744. It is followed by Kerala with 1,412 fresh cases while Punjab reported 1,229 new cases, the ministry stated.
“Eight states – Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh – are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases,” the ministry underlined. India’s active caseload has reached 1,87,462 which comprises 1.67 per cent of the country’s total infections.