Biggest spike in Covid-19 numbers yet as Maharashtra, Gujarat report huge spurt

NEW DELHI: In the biggest surge in the Covid-19 pandemic in India so far, 1,612 new cases were reported from across the country on Sunday, with Maharashtra (552), Gujarat (367) and Uttar Pradesh (179) registering their highest single-day count of fresh infections.

The huge surge in these states resulted in the total number of coronavirus cases jumping by more than 10% in a single day to 17,325, at the time of going to press.

Maharashtra also recorded 12 new deaths, followed by Gujarat (10), Madhya Pradesh (5) and Telangana (3). Delhi, Rajasthan and Kerala recorded two new deaths each, taking the day’s death toll to 39 and the total to 560.

Meanwhile, there was cheerful news from Goa, which became the first state to declared itself coronavirus-free after the seventh (and last) Covid-19 patient was discharged after treatment.

In Delhi, the total number of Covid-19 cases touched 2,003 with 110 new cases recorded on Sunday. The state plans to scale up testing to identify positive cases in hotspots.

Odisha, where 60 persons have been found positive for Covid-19, is arming its sarpanchs with the powers of a magistrate as part of their anti-virus fight.

The grim march of the virus continued in Maharashtra, which recorded not just the highest number of new cases for the state, but also for Mumbai. The state capital added 456 cases and six deaths to its Covid count even at a case fatality rate of 4.8%. Maharashtra’s total cases jumped to 4,200 and the death toll to 223.


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Gujarat now has 1,743 Covid-19 positive cases, jumping to the third spot in the country after Maharashtra and Delhi. Ten more people succumbed to the virus taking the total death toll to 63.

In terms of mortality, the state is third again, after Maharashtra (211) and Madhya Pradesh (72). Ahmedabad, the national hotspot, continued to be the epicentre of the virus. On Sunday, Gujarat’s capital recorded 239, or 65% of the total fresh cases. Surat added 89 and Vadodara 22 cases to their tally. The total cases in Ahmedabad is now 1,101. In Surat, it’s 242 and in Vadodara, 180.

In a silver lining for the state, the number of recovered patients crossed figure of 100 on Sunday. The day recorded 12 discharges, taking the total to 105.

UP had another peak of 177 cases on Sunday as its total zoomed to 1,163 by late evening. Health officials said that the total number of cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat was 781.

While the state recorded its 17th death, 19 more persons were discharged, taking the total number of recovered patients to 127.

Madhya Pradesh’s astounding fall in Covid-19 infections continued, with a net of just five new cases recorded on Sunday. The state government has, in fact, shown negative growth in many districts, rolling back the number of patients it had announced earlier.

The total number of Covid-19 positive cases in Haryana touched 250 in Haryana with 18 new cases recorded on Sunday.

As many as nine cases were reported from Faridabad, while four new cases came to light in Gurgaon. In addition, Ambala detected four new cases and Bhiwani district one.

Two persons died of Covid-19 in Jaipur on Sunday taking the toll to 13 in the Pink City and 23 in the state. With 127 new cases reported on Sunday, the number of infected persons has increased to 1,478 in the state.

Six new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Karnataka — the lowest in 11 days. The last time the state had reported cases as low as six cases was on April 8. The total number of positive cases touched 390.

Two women infected with Covid-19 died during the day, taking the total number of deaths in the state to 16.

In Kerala, 13 more recovered from Covid-19, taking the total number of persons recovered of coronavirus in the state touched 270. Of the 401 total cases reported in the state, 129 are undergoing treatment.

Only two positive cases were reported on Sunday; one each in Kannur and Kasaragod. Both had travelled from the UAE. With this, the total number of people who had come from abroad and tested positive is 283, including eight foreigners.