Inoculation drive boosted after PM Modi's vaccination; more than 20 lakh COVID-19 vaccines administered on March 8

More than 20 lakh people were inoculated against coronavirus on March 8, the highest in a day so far, taking the total number of vaccine doses administered in the country to over 2.3 crores, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

As on Day 52 of the COVID-19 vaccination drive (March 8), 20,19,723 vaccine doses were given. Out of these, 17,15,380 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 28,884 sessions for the first dose and 3,04,343 healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) received the second dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine.

The 17,15,380 beneficiaries include 12,22,351 aged over 60 years and 2,21,148 aged 45 to 60 with specified comorbidities.

"India has recorded a significant achievement in its countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive which was rolled out from January 16. More than two million vaccine doses were administered in a span of 24 hours," the ministry said.

A total of 2,30,08,733 vaccine doses have been administered through 4,05,517 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am on Tuesday.

These include 70,75,010 HCWs (1st dose), 37,39,478 HCWs (2nd dose), 67,92,319FLWs (1st dose) and 3,25,972 FLWs (2nd dose), 7,01,80 9beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st dose) and 43,74,145 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

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Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka continue to report a surge in the COVID-19 daily new cases. They cumulatively account for 84.04 percent of the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours.

A total of 15,388 new infections were registered in a span of 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 8,744. It is followed by Kerala with 1,412 fresh cases, while Punjab reported 1,229 new cases, the ministry stated.

"Eight states — Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh — are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases," the ministry underlined.

India's active caseload has reached 1,87,462 which comprises 1.67 percent of the country’s total infections.

Showing the distribution of new cases in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said four states — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura — did not report any new COVID-19 case, while Maharashtra, Punjab, and Kerala reported over 1,000 new cases.