Coronavirus: Cases climb to 4,40,215, death toll now 14,011 Recovery rate to 56.38 per cent; Muslims won't go for Haj, says govt

A volunteer feeds dogs during the ongoing Covid-19 nationwide lockdown, in Chennai, Monday,
 June 22, 2020. A 12-day lockdown was announced without previous relaxations in Chennai and in
a string of other localities in nearby three districts including Chengelpet.PTI

PTI, 23.06.20, New Delhi: With 14,933 people testing positive for coronavirus in a single day, India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 4,40,215 on Tuesday while the death toll rose to 14,011 with 312 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The country has witnessed a spike of 2,49,680 infections from June 1 till date, with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh contributing to almost 70 per cent of total cases.

The number of recoveries also continued to surge with 2,48,189 patients cured so far, while there were 1,78,014 active cases, according to the updated official figures at 8am. One patient has migrated.

During the last 24 hours, a total of 10,994 Covid-19 patients have recovered, taking the recovery rate to 56.38 per cent amongst coronavirus infected patients, an official said.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 71,37,716 samples have been tested up to June 22 with 1,87,223 samples being tested on Monday.

Of the 312 fresh fatalities reported till Tuesday morning, 113 were from Maharashtra, 58 from Delhi, 37 from Tamil Nadu, 21 from Gujarat, 19 from Uttar Pradesh, 14 from West Bengal, 9 from Haryana, seven each from Rajasthan and Telangana, six from Madhya Pradesh, five each from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, three from Jammu and Kashmir, two each from Bihar and Punjab and one each from Chhattisgarh, Goa, Odisha and Uttarakhand.

India is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US, Brazil and Russia.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, which has been compiling Covid-19 data from all over the world, India is at the eighth position in terms of the death toll.

Of the total 14,011 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra accounted for the highest 6,283 fatalities, followed by Delhi with 2,233 deaths, Gujarat with 1,684, Tamil Nadu with 794, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh with 569 each, Madhya Pradesh with 521, Rajasthan with 356 and Telangana with 217 deaths.

The Covid-19 death toll reached 169 in Haryana, 142 in Karnataka, 111 in Andhra Pradesh, 101 in Punjab, 85 in Jammu and Kashmir, 55 in Bihar, 28 in Uttarakhand, 21 in Kerala and 15 in Odisha.

Chhattisgarh has registered 12 deaths, Jharkhand 11, Assam nine, Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry eight each, Chandigarh six, while Goa, Meghalaya, Tripura and Ladakh have reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry.

More than 70 per cent deaths took place due to comorbidities, it said.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 1,35,796, followed by Delhi at 62,655, Tamil Nadu at 62,087, Gujarat at 27,825, Uttar Pradesh at 18,322, Rajasthan at 15,232 and West Bengal at 14,358, according to ministry data.

The number of Covid-19 cases has gone up to 12,078 in Madhya Pradesh, 11,025 in Haryana, 9,399 in Karnataka, 9,372 in Andhra Pradesh and 8,674 in Telangana.

It has risen to 7,825 in Bihar, 6,088 in Jammu and Kashmir, 5,586 in Assam and 5,303 in Odisha. Punjab has reported 4,235 novel coronavirus infections so far, while Kerala has 3,310 cases.

A total of 2,402 people have been infected by the virus in Uttarakhand, 2,303 in Chhattisgarh, 2,137 in Jharkhand, 1,237 in Tripura, 898 in Manipur, 864 in Goa, 847 in Ladakh and 727 in Himachal Pradesh.

Chandigarh has recorded 411 Covid-19 cases, Puducherry has 383 cases, Nagaland has 280, Mizoram has 141 and Arunachal Pradesh has 139.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 91 Covid-19 cases.

Sikkim has recorded 78 cases, Andaman and Nicobar Islands registered 48 infections, while Meghalaya has recorded 44 cases.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research)," the ministry said, adding 8,015 cases are being reassigned to states.

State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it added.

Muslims won't go for Haj: Govt

The government has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for Haj this year, Naqvi told reporters.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic. It said only a very limited number of people currently living in the kingdom may take part.

"This decision was taken to ensure haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective," a Saudi government statement said.