The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India rose by a whopping 21 percent since yesterday to 873, the latest data from the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) shows. This is a faster increase compared to the previous 24-hour-period, when the number of cases had risen by 12 percent to 724. The number of active cases rose 21 percent since yesterday to 775.

India’s trajectory is flatter than that of the US, which is the new global epicentre of Covid-19, with confirmed cases surpassing China. Yet, given the volatility in India’s daily data over the past few days, it is too early to say whether the current trajectory will sustain, rise, or flatten in the coming days.

Even going by the current trajectory, India’s case count has doubled over the past four days. If this trajectory continues, the number of cases could shoot up to 10,000 cases over the next 16 days, and India could run out of hospital beds in May.

At 162, Kerala leads in terms of the number of active cases of Covid-19. Active cases exclude deaths and recoveries from the list of confirmed cases. Maharashtra has the second most number of active cases (150), followed by Karnataka (50). At 47 active cases, Telangana has the fourth-highest number of active cases, followed closely by Rajasthan (45).

In the north-east, two states have reported Covid-19 cases so far: Manipur and Mizoram, with 1 confirmed case each in both states. Other north-eastern states have not reported any case so far. Jharkhand hasn’t reported any confirmed case either.

Maharashtra and Kerala have seen the biggest spikes in confirmed cases over the past 24 hours. The number of active cases rose from 111 to 150 in Maharashtra and from 126 to 162 in Kerala.

So far, the district wise details are available only for 724 confirmed cases nationally. In this list, Mumbai (47 cases) has reported the most number of cases in Maharashtra. Kasargod district (45 cases) has reported the most number of cases in Kerala. Hyderabad district (27 cases) has reported the most cases in Telangana and Gurugram district (24 cases) has reported the most number of cases in Haryana. Bhilwara (17 cases) has reported the most number of cases in Rajasthan.

More than half a million people have now been detected as Covid-19 patients globally even as severe parts of the world, including India, have taken severe lockdown measures in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

So far, Covid-19 has claimed 27,364 deaths globally, of which Italy accounted for the most deaths (9,134), followed by Spain (5,138). China, where the virus originated has seen 3,299 Covid-19 deaths so far.

After Europe, the US has emerged as the new hotspot for Covid-19. The US has reported 1,702 deaths so far but these numbers are expected to spike as the US has lagged behind other countries in testing and identifying Covid-19 patients. At 1,04,661 confirmed cases so far, the US has already surpassed China in the total number of confirmed cases.

In India, there have been 19 deaths so far but this could change in the coming weeks. Testing criteria in India have been stringent so far and are gradually being relaxed even as new labs begin testing.

It is likely that cases will continue to mount over the coming days as testing expands, even if the lockdown has lowered the rate of transmission of the virus. The full impact of the lockdown can be gauged only after a few weeks.









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