Coronavirus: PM Modi likely to take call on lockdown extension as 1000+ new cases take India’s tally to 6,872

The massive spike in coronavirus cases comes a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with chief ministers of all states, where he is expected to take a call on the extension of nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25

India on Friday registered the highest-ever single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. As per the official government tally, India now has 6,872 cases of novel coronavirus – 24 hours ago the figure stood at 5,865. The central government data puts deaths due to Covid-19 in India at 206.

The massive spike in coronavirus cases comes a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with chief ministers of all states, where he is expected to take a call on the extension of nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25, even as two states – Odisha and Punjab – have already extended restrictions till April 30.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has also cautioned the global leaders against a hastened withdrawal of restrictions imposed to control the virus, as the organisation said, it could lead to a re-emergence of the deadly infection. The novel coronavirus pandemic has infected over 16 lakh people globally since its emergence in China last December while the worldwide death toll is fast approaching 1,00,000.

Over 1,000 new cases in India in one day

Despite the 17th day of the nationwide lockdown, India registered over 1,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus. By 9 PM April 10, ICMR data said that total 6872 individuals had tested positive in India. However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by various states as on 9.30 PM showed a total of 7,510 having been affected by the virus nationwide so far with at least 251 deaths. More than 700 have been cured and discharged.

While several states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh reported a rising number of cases, the Union Health Ministry said the rate of people testing positive was only 0.2 per cent on Thursday when more than 16,000 samples were tested. Cumulatively close to 1.5 lakh samples have been tested so far across India.