Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for 71.10 per centof the 28,903 new infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday. It said 83.91 per cent of the new cases are from Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Maharashtra alone accounts for 61.8 per cent of the daily new cases with 17,864 cases. It is followed by Kerala with 1,970 while Punjab reported 1,463 new cases, the ministry said. Kerala is reporting a consistently declining trend over the last one month.

India’s total active caseload has reached 2.34 lakh (2,34,406) comprising 2.05 per cent of the total infections. “Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab account for 76.4 per cent of India’s total active cases, with Maharashtra alone contributing nearly 60 per cent,” the ministry highlighted.

Over 3.5 crore (3,50,64,536) vaccine doses have been administered through5,86,855 sessions,as per the provisional report till Wednesday 7 am, the ministry said. These include 75,06,155 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have been given the 1st dose, 45,54,855 HCWs who have been administered the 2nd dose), 76,00,030 frontline workers (FLWs) who have taken the 1st dose) and 16,47,644 FLWs who have been given the 2nd doses.

Besides, 21,66,408 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities and 1,15,89,444 individuals aged more than 60 years have been administered the 1st dose. As on day-60 of the vaccination drive (16th March, 2021), more than 21 lakh (21,17,104) vaccine doses were given.

Of these, 17,82,553 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 30,871 sessions for 1stdose and 3,34,551 HCWs and FLWs received the 2nd dose of vaccine. India’s cumulative recoveries surged to 1,10,45,284. The ministry stated that 188 deaths were reported in a span of 24 hours. Six states account for 86.7 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (87). Punjab follows with 38 daily deaths. Kerala reported 15 deaths.

Fifteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours. These are Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Daman and Diu & Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Nagaland, Tripura, Ladakh, Manipur, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.