Vaccinations will be widened to everyone above 18 in the next stage beginning May 1, the government announced today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of meetings today.
All adults will be vaccinated in "a liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination", the government said in a statement on a day India reported a new record high of 2.73 lakh cases in a day.
Delhi will be under complete curfew from tonight to next Monday morning amid a record rise in coronavirus cases that has severely strained the city's resources and health infrastructure.
All private offices will Work From Home and only government offices and essential services will be open, sources say.
A weekend curfew was on in the capital to "break the chain of transmission" but continuing violations in parts of the city signaled that harsher steps were needed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting to discuss the coronavirus crisis in the country as India battles an unprecedented surge in cases that saw a new record daily high today with over 2.73 lakh fresh infections.
India's total tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 1.50 crore with a record single-day rise of 2,73,810 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases surpassed the 19-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The total tally of COVID-19 cases mounted to 1,50,61,919 and the death count increased to 1,78,769 with a record 1,619 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase for the 40th day in a row, the active cases have increased to 19,29,329 comprising 12.81 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,29,53,821, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.19 per cent, the data stated.
Meanwhile, amid a crippling shortage of life-saving medical oxygen in many Covid-hit parts of the country, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has advised states to keep the "demand under control" by containing the rapid second coronavirus wave that has triggered an unprecedented spurt in cases.
