Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in the country, reported 13,659 Covid cases on Thursday. (File)
New Delhi:
The Centre is “very worried” about the upsurge in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul said, adding the virus cannot be taken for granted if the country has to remain Covid-free. The remark comes after the Maharashtra government announced a week-long lockdown – from March 15 to March 21 – in Nagpur, which reported over 1,800 cases in 24 hours.
Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in the country, reported 13,659 daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, which is 60 percent of the country’s single-day total.
The Union Health Ministry said eight of the 10 cities with the highest number of active cases belong to Maharashtra. They are – Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Mumbai, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik and Aurangabad.
Balram Bhargava, head of the Indian Council For Medical Research, on being asked whether mutants could be the underlying cause behind the surge, said, “The surge in Maharashtra is definitely not connected to mutants. It is due to large gatherings and lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour.”
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden signed a massive $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill Thursday ahead of giving a national address where he was set to urge “hope” on the first anniversary of the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Joe Biden called the American Rescue Plan “historic” as he signed the package into law in the Oval Office.
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