Over 92,000 fresh Covid-19 cases take India’s tally closer to 5 million

India on Monday recorded 92,076 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease in the last 24 hours which took the overall tally to 48,46,427, reports Hindustan Times. 

According to Union health ministry update, there are 9,86,598 active cases while 37,80,107 patients have been discharged. More than 1,100 (1,136 to be exact) fatalities were recorded in the same period which pushed the death toll up to 79,722.

India has been recording at least 1,000 fatalities everyday due to the coronavirus disease for the last three weeks. Maharashtra, which has the highest number of Covid-19 cases, also tops in terms of the death toll.

The fatalities count in Maharashtra reached close to 30,000 after 416 patients died due to the infection on Sunday, according to health ministry.

Apart from Maharashtra, the Centre on Sunday urged Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to ensure adequate oxygen availability in all healthcare facilities and unrestricted intra- and inter-state movement of oxygen cylinders because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The health ministry held a virtual meeting where Union health secretary, secretary DPIIT and secretary Pharmaceuticals participated.

Union minister Piyush Goyal addressed them. The states were advised to ensure facility wise/hospital wise oxygen inventory management and advance planning for replenishment so that there are no stockout, the health ministry said in a statement.

Health minister Harsh Vardhan, meanwhile, said on Sunday that a vaccine for the disease is likely to be available by early next year and the government is considering its emergency authorisation for high-risk people.

Vardhan said the government is taking full precautions in human trials of vaccines and the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration is drawing up a detailed strategy on how to immunise the majority of the population.