The daily rise in infections (40,953) was the highest recorded in 111 days
India saw 43,846 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the highest single-day rise recorded this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,99,130, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
In the 24-hour period, India reported 197 deaths linked to the virus taking the total number of fatalities to 1,59,755.
Maharashtra on Saturday reported over 27,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time ever. The worst Covid-hit state in the country also logged 92 deaths because of the illness in the last 24 hours.
The state government said in a statement that Maharashtra today reported 27,126 cases, which is its highest single-day count. It had reported 25,833 cases on Thursday - which was the state's previous record - and over 25,600 cases on Friday.
India is witnessing surge in Covid cases amid a countrywide vaccination drive through which over four crore people have been administered anti-Covid vaccine jabs so far.
Here are the updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
India reports 43,846 new COVID19 cases, 22,956 recoveries and 197 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry
Total cases: 1,15,99,130
Total recoveries: 1,11,30,288
Active cases: 3,09,087
Death count: 1,59,755
Total vaccination: 4,46,03,841
Over 400 J&K Youth Join Indian Army's Light Infantry Regiment After Training
As many as 409 youth of Jammu and Kashmir joined the Indian Army's Light Infantry Regiment on Saturday after the completion of training, reported news agency ANI.
The young soldiers had undergone year long training. They took part in a parade at the Bana Singh Parade Ground of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre.
Speaking at the event, Lieutenant General MK Das, Commandant, Officers Training Academy said, "The young soldiers will encourage the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. More youth from the Union Territory will come forward to join the security forces."
BJP Conspired Against Maharashtra Alliance: Congress On Sacked Cop's LetterAfter former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was indulging in "malpractices" and had asked suspended police officer Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore every month, Congress said BJP has conspired against the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government by putting officials under pressure from agencies.
J&K's Historic Badamwari Garden Opens For Visitors From Today
In an attempt to promote tourism and revive traditional cultural activities in Kashmir, the government has announced the opening of the historic Badamwari garden in Srinagar that is witnessing an almond bloom from today, reported news agency ANI.
The garden, located in the foothills of historic Koh-e-Maraan in Srinagar city, is famous for almond bloom and is also known as "Badam Waer".
The tourism department organised pre-opening and colourful cultural programmes at Badamwari on Saturday to announce that the garden will be open for the general public from today.
IndiGo Hands Over Passenger To Security At Kolkata Airport For Not Wearing Mask On Flight
IndiGo airlines on Saturday said it has handed over a passenger to security on arrival at Kolkata airport for not wearing a face mask despite repeated requests made by the crew on board, reported news agency ANI.
Face masks have been made mandatory in public spaces after the COVID-19 outbreak in March last year.
40,953 new coronavirus cases and 23,653 recoveries were reported, the Union Health Ministry informed on Saturday.
Anandpur Sahib Events To Mark Guru Tegh Bahadur's 400th Birth Anniversary PostponedVarious "
Gurmat Samagams" (religious events), which were scheduled to be organised by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab to mark the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, have been postponed, reported news agency PTI.
Ceremonies related to the "Hola Mohalla" will be celebrated like every year, SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said.
"The programmes of "Hola Mohalla" would be celebrated with "Khalsai Jaho-Jalal" (awe-inspiring appearance)," Ms Kaur said.
Special functions dedicated to the 400th "Prakash Purab Shatabdi" of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Anandpur Sahib, scheduled from March 24-28, have been postponed, she said.
"The new dates of these functions would be decided after April 1," she added.
Budget Allocation For Education Has Increased In Bengal Under Trinamool Rule: MinisterHours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of doing little to improve the "dismal education scenario" in West Bengal, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday that PM Modi is making "false allegations without knowing the real truth", reported news agency PTI.
The state government has taken various steps to ensure education reaches out to the needy children and youth of the state and PM Modi should have checked the facts, Mr Chatterjee said.
Case Against Trinamool Candidate For Intimidating Voters Ahead Of Polls: PoliceA case has been lodged against Trinamool Congress's Bardhaman Dakshin (south) candidate Khokon Das on Saturday for allegedly intimidating voters ahead of the assembly elections in Bengal, the police said, reported news agency PTI.
Addressing a public meeting at the Kankaleshwari Kalibari area of Burdwan city on Tuesday, Khokon Das allegedly said that after the election results will be announced, action will be taken against those who vote for the BJP, the police said.
Items Belonging To E-Commerce Firm Stolen During ShippingGoods worth Rs 5.80 lakh belonging to an e-commerce firm were stolen from a truck that was going from from Telangana to Nagpur in Maharashtra, the police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI.
320 boxes were loaded onto the truck from Telangana's Ranga Reddy district on March 7, to be delivered to Nagpur's Yerla area.
According to the truck's driver Hamid Khan (43), unidentified persons stole three boxes containing mobile phones, body spray, deodorants and other items during the journey.
A case of theft has been registered at the Kalmeshwar police station and further probe is on, an official said.
U'ttarakhand Chief Minister Excluded From Panel Of BJP's 6 Potential Candidates For Salt Bypoll
Uttarakhand BJP on Saturday constituted a panel of six potential candidates for the party's central board to choose from for the by-election to be held in Salt assembly constituency on April 17, excluding Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, reported news agency PTI.
After a meeting of the state BJP core group in Dehradun, party's state unit president Madan Kaushik told reporters that based on a survey of a three-member committee, formed under the leadership of Cabinet Minister Yashpal Arya for the Salt bypoll, the party has prepared a panel of six names which will be sent to the central leadership on Sunday.
Himachal Pradesh Limits Social Gatherings To 50% Of CapacityHimachal Pradesh has issued instructions to limit gatherings indoors and outdoors to 50 per cent of the occupancy, with a maximum number of 200 for social functions held indoors, reported news agency PTI.
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said prior permissions for social gatherings will also be required after two-three days.
Sikh Community Feeling Betrayed As Centre Failed To Implement Anand Marriage Act In J&K: BJP LeaderThe Sikh community in Jammu and Kashmir is feeling betrayed as the central government has "failed" to keep its promise of implementing "Anand Marriage Act" in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, senior BJP leader S Varinderjeet Singh has said, reported news agency PTI.
Mr Singh discussed the matter with national president of BJP minority morcha Haji Jamal Sadiqui during his two-day visit to Jammu, the BJP said in a statement on Saturday.
Adani Group To Reimburse Vaccination Charges Incurred By Employees, Their Families
The Adani Group has said that it will reimburse charges incurred on vaccination against coronavirus by its employees and their families, reported news agency ANI.
"We are pleased to share that we will reimburse vaccination charges for every Adani employee, their spouse and children as well as employees' parents, between now and April 30 2021," Chief Human Resources Officer Vikram Tandon said in a letter.
The letter noted that the government is accelerating the vaccination programme to control the spread of COVID and to minimise the number of cases on account of the pandemic.
PM Modi To Address Rally In Puducherry On March 30
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in poll-bound Puducherry on March 30, reported news agency ANI. BJP leader R Embalam Selvam told media persons on Saturday that the rally would be held at 4 pm.
The BJP is fighting the election in alliance with the NR Congress and AIADMK. He alleged corruption in the Congress government that was headed by V Narayanasamy. Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry will be held on April 6.
Over 4,000 Face-Mask Violators To Undergo COVID Tests In Punjab
Amid a rise in Covid cases in the state, teams of Punjab Police on Saturday persuaded over 4,400 face-mask violators to undergo RT-PCR testing, reported news agency PTI.
As many as 1,800 more people were fined as they were found without face masks, the police said. They also distributed free face masks to over 12,000 people.
The move came a day after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh made face masks mandatory in the state.
He had directed the police and health authorities to take people in public places without face masks to the nearest RT-PCR testing facility to ensure that they were not asymptomatic coronavirus cases.
2,587 New Covid Cases In Punjab, Highest In 6 Months
Punjab recorded over 2,500 coronavirus cases on Saturday, the highest single-day spike in the past six months, while 38 more people died, the Health Department said.
The active COVID-19 cases rose to 16,988 and 1,011 more patients were recuperated, taking the number of recoveries to 1,87,198, according to a bulletin.
The 2,587 new infections took the tally to 2,10,466, while the death count rose to 6,280 with 38 more deaths. There are 25 critical patients who are on ventilator support and 287 on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
Pune Sees 5,473 COVID-19 Cases, 27 Deaths And 1,094 Recoveries
The number of COVID-19 cases in Pune district increased by 5,065 on Saturday to reach
4,64,070, while the day also saw 27 deaths and 1,094 people recovering, an official said.
The death count in the district now stands at 9,537, he said.
"Pune city accounted for 3,111 of the new cases, and now has a caseload of 2,32,494. Pimpri Chinchwad's tally rose by 1,431 to touch 1,20,949. The number of COVID-19 cases in rural, civil hospital and Pune cantonment areas increased to 1,10,627," he added.
PM Modi Wishes Imran Khan Speedy Recovery From Covid
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan for a speedy recovery from COVID-19.
Mr Khan has tested positive for the COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, his top aide on health announced, two days after he got the first shot of a vaccine.
"Best wishes to Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI for a speedy recovery from COVID-19," PM Modi tweeted his wishes to Mr Khan.
Veteran Actor Sharmila Tagore Receives First Dose Of Covid Vaccine
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore on Saturday received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a hospital in Gurgaon.
Ms Tagore's daughter Saba Ali Khan, a jewellery designer, took to social media to share the news about her mother getting a vaccine jab.
In the photo, shared by Ms Saba on her Instagram, the 76-year-old actor is seen flashing the victory sign as she gets vaccinated at the Artemis hospital.
Ms Tagore is the latest Indian celebrity to have received the COVID-19 vaccine, after veterans like Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Jeetendra, Kamal Haasan, Anupam Kher, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan and comedian Johnny Lever.
Actor Mandar Chandwadkar Tests Positive For Covid
Actor Mandar Chandwadkar, best known for featuring as Bhide in the popular show "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah", on Saturday said he has tested positive for coronavirus.
In a video message on Instagram, the actor said he is asymptomatic, healthy and fit, and under home quarantine.
"I have self-isolated. I am under home quarantine. I am following all the rules advised by the doctor and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)," he said.
The 44-year-old actor thanked all his well wishers for their prayers and urged everyone to wear masks, maintain social distancing and follow the COVID-19 guidelines.
Delhi Records 813 Fresh Covid Cases, Highest Daily Count This Year
Delhi records 813 fresh COVID-19 cases, highest daily count this year. The positivity rate crosses 1 per cent. Meanwhile, two deaths take the death count to 10,955.
Experts Must Probe Surge In COVID-19 Cases In Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said a team of experts should be formed to probe the reason for the surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra compared to the other states in the country.
The former chief minister was speaking to the media after attending a meeting with Nagpur Guardian Minister Nitin Raut and district officials at the divisional commissionerate.
"I feel a team of experts should be constituted to study the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state. Maharashtra is no different from other states, but then why is it witnessing such a surge in infections?" Mr Fadnavis said.
Denmark reports two cases of blood clots after AstraZeneca shot Denmark on Saturday reported two cases of hospital staff with blood clots and cerebral haemorrhage after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination.
The Capital Region of Denmark, the authority which handles the health care system in Copenhagen, said that one of the hospital staff had died and both had received the AstraZeneca vaccine less than 14 days before getting ill.
The Danish medicines agency confirmed it had received two 'serious reports', without giving further details
"Expanding Military Engagement": Rajnath Singh On US Defence Secretary MeetIndia and the US focused on expanding their military engagement during the recent meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of Defence, General Lloyd Austin, a joint statement said today. The talks focussed on wide-ranging defence cooperation, information-sharing in emerging areas, and mutual logistical support, he said." itemprop="description
2 new cases push COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 5,038The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 5,038 on Saturday as two more people tested positive for the infection, a health official said.
The Union territory now has seven active cases, while 4,969 people have recovered from the disease and 62 patients have succumbed to the infection so far, he said.
Trump's Mar-a-Lago Resort In Florida Partially Closed Over Covid OutbreakFormer president Donald Trump's Florida resort Mar-a-Lago has been partially closed after some members of staff tested positive for the coronavirus, US media reported Friday.
"As some of our staff have recently tested positive for Covid-19, we will be temporarily suspending service at the Beach Club and a la carte Dining Room," the club's management said in an email cited by The Washington Post.
It did not specify how many members of staff had been infected.
Maharashtra's Thane district's COVID-19 count up by 1,949, death count by 8With the addition of 1,949 coronavirus cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 2,84,317, an official said on Saturday.
These new cases were reported on Friday, he said. As the virus claimed the life of eight persons, the death count in the district rose to 6,370.
The COVID-19 mortality rate in the district is 2.24 per cent, he added.
So far, 2,64,590 patients have recuperated from the infection, which took the recovery rate to 93.06 per cent.
There are 13,357 active cases in the district at present, the official said.
COVID-19 cases in Brazil rise by record 90,570 to over 11.87 million: Ministry
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by a record 90,570 to 11,871,390 within the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Friday.
The death toll has risen by 2,815 to 290,314 people within the same period of time.
More than 10.38 million patients have recovered since the start of the outbreak.
Girl Electrocuted In Bihar School, Nitish Kumar Offers Financial Aid To Family
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday offered Rs 4 lakhs as compensation to the family of a girl who was electrocuted in Darbhanga, according to the Chief Minister's Office, reported news agency ANI.
The girl was electrocuted when she touched an iron gate of her classroom in Darbhanga on Friday.
Nine other students of the school were injured from electrocution as they tried to pull her away from the gate in which the current was flowing.