India's COVID-19 tally rose to 43,018,032 on Saturday, as 1,660 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data. Besides, as many as 4,100 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Friday morning, taking the total death toll to 520,855. This sudden rise in the number of deaths in the country was because "4,005 deaths were reconciled by Maharashtra," said a senior official at the federal health ministry. Read: 11 dead in India godown fire There are still 16,741 active COVID-19 cases in the country even as there was a fall of 4,789 active cases during the past 24 hours. So far 42,480,436 people have been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals so far, out of which 2,349 were discharged during the past 24 hours. 

The oxygen crisis seems to be spiralling out of control in India.   After 62 Covid patients died at three Delhi hospitals in the past 10 days due to oxygen shortage, 24 more people lost their lives at a government medical facility in the southern state of Karnataka in the small hours of Monday after it allegedly ran out of the life-saving gas.   The deaths occurred at the general hospital in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district, some 180km from state capital Bengaluru. Officials said that several Covid patients on life support were among the deceased.   Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar termed the incident as "unfortunate", but refused to acknowledge that all the deaths were due to the shortage of oxygen.   "What happened in Chamarajanagar is an unfortunate incident. I have discussed this matter with the chief minister. I am heading to Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar. I will find out how the deaths took place. And all the issues they are facing," he told the local media.   India's main opposition Congress party's leader Rahul Gandhi was quick to slam the federal government for the deaths. "Died or Killed? My heartfelt condolences to their families. How much more suffering before the ‘system’ wakes up?" Gandhi tweeted. Read Also: India launches effort to inoculate all adults against COVID   In fact, several hospitals in India, particularly Delhi, are currently facing an acute shortage of oxygen as the country witnesses a ferocious second wave of Covid. In the past 10 days, at least 62 patients have died at three leading Delhi hospitals due to an acute shortage of oxygen.   On May 1, some 12 people, including a Covid-positive doctor, lost their lives at  Batra Hospital after it ran out of the life-saving gas.   "Supply came at 1.30pm (a second tanker reached at around 4pm). But we were out of oxygen for 1 hour and 20 mins. By the time supplies came, 12 people, including a doctor, were dead. Most of them were Covid patients on life support," the hospital had said in a statement.   On April 24, Jaipur Golden Hospital, a dedicated Covid medical facility in Delhi, announced the death of 25 Covid patients in 24 hours due to "low-supply oxygen" to critical patients on ventilator.   And a day before, another leading hospital in Delhi also said in a statement that 25 patients lost their lives in 24 hours due to an acute shortage of oxygen. "25 sickest patients have died in the last 24 hours. Oxygen will last another two hours. Major crisis likely. Lives of 60 sickest patients at risk, need urgent intervention," Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had said. Read Also: India's COVID-19 tally crosses 19 mln with over 400000 daily cases   It may also be mentioned here that as many as 24 Covid patients on ventilator at a government hospital in the western state of Maharashtra died some 10 days ago after their oxygen supply ran out following leakage of the life-supporting gas from a tanker. The tanker was brought to Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital in Nashik district to replenish the cylinders.    

A total of 368,147 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India in the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 19,925,604, according to the health ministry on Monday. Besides, 3,417 more deaths were recorded since Sunday morning, bringing the death toll to 218,949. There are a total of 3,413,642 active cases in the country, with an increase of 63,998 through Sunday, while 16,293,003 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals across the country. The daily figures continue to peak in the country, and the government has imposed new measures to contain the spread. Some school exams have been canceled or postponed in the wake of the deteriorating situation. India kicked off a nationwide vaccination drive in January, and so far over 157 million vaccination doses have been administered across the country. Read Also: India launches effort to inoculate all adults against COVID The third phase of vaccination for people aged above 18 began last Saturday. Meanwhile, a total of 291,647,037 tests were conducted till Sunday, out of which 1,504,698 tests were conducted on Sunday alone, said the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday. The national capital Delhi, one of the most affected places in the country, witnessed over 20,000 new cases and 407 deaths through Sunday. So far 16,966 people have died in the national capital due to COVID-19, confirmed Delhi's health department. Read Also: India's COVID-19 tally crosses 19 mln with over 400000 daily cases Delhi has been put under a third successive weeklong lockdown till May 10

 India recorded 295,041 new COVID-19 cases and 2,023 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the caseload to 15,616,130 and the death toll to 182,553, according to data released by the health ministry on Wednesday. There are still 2,157,538 active cases in the country, with an increase of 125,561 through Tuesday, while 13,276,039 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals. Although the COVID-19 figures continue to peak in the country, the federal government has ruled out a complete lockdown. The capital Delhi has been put under a week-long lockdown till April 26. The number of daily active cases has been on the rise over the past few weeks, after once coming down to below 10,000 in January. So far over 130 million vaccination doses have been administered in India since the country started the nationwide inoculation drive in January. Also read: Indian capital gasps for oxygen Meanwhile, 271,053,392 tests have been conducted till Tuesday, out of which 1,639,357 tests were conducted on Tuesday alone, according to the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Wednesday. Also read: India's capital to lock down as nation's virus cases top 15M The national capital Delhi, one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country, witnessed 28,395 new cases and 277 deaths through Tuesday. A total of 12,638 people have died in the national capital due to COVID-19, confirmed Delhi's health department.  

India reported more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases Thursday, skyrocketing past 14 million overall as an intensifying outbreak puts a grim weight on its fragile health care system. In the capital, New Delhi, more than a dozen hotels and wedding banquet halls were ordered to be converted into COVID-19 centers attached to hospitals.  “The surge is alarming,” said S.K. Sarin, a government health expert in New Delhi. The bustle of India’s biggest city and financial capital, Mumbai, ebbed under lockdown-like curbs to curb the spread of the virus. The action imposed by worst-hit Maharashtra state Wednesday night closed most industries, businesses and public places and limits the movement of people for 15 days, but didn’t stop train and air services. In recent days, migrant workers hauling backpacks have swarmed overcrowded trains leaving Mumbai, an exodus among panic-stricken day laborers. In addition to the 200,739 new cases of infection, the Health Ministry also reported 1,038 fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, taking deaths to 173,123 since the pandemic started last year. India’s total cases are second behind the United States and its deaths are fourth behind the U.S., Brazil and Mexico. The actual numbers may be much higher with limited testing among India’s nearly 1.4 billion people. Also Read: India records highest spike of daily COVID-19 cases this year Shahid Jamil, a virologist, said the recent local and state elections with massive political rallies and a major Hindu festival with hundreds of thousands of devotees bathing in the Ganges river in the northern city of Haridwar were super-spreader events.   India is ramping up its vaccination drive. The Health Ministry said the total vaccinations crossed 114 million with more than 3 million doses administered on Wednesday. Hospitals in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and several others state were overwhelmed with patients with several hospitals reporting shortage of oxygen cylinders. Cremation and burial grounds in the worst-hit area also were finding it difficult to cope with the increasing number of bodies arriving for last rites, Indian media reports said. Imran Sheikh, a resident of the western city of Pune, said hospital authorities asked him to arrange for an oxygen gas cylinder for his relative undergoing COVID-19 treatment. New Delhi and dozens of other cities and towns imposed night curfews as they battled an infection rate that almost doubled within 11 days. Also Read: India's COVID-19 tally rises to 11,599,130 with nearly 44,000 new cases .   When infections began plummeting in India in September, many concluded the worst had passed. Masks and social distancing were abandoned. When cases began rising again in February, authorities were left scrambling.

India's COVID-19 tally rose to 11,438,734 on Wednesday, as 28,903 cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the highest daily spike this year, said the latest data from the federal health ministry.

The head of India's top health research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Balram Bhargava has said health protocols to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will stay for a long time and people will have to keep wearing masks even after a vaccine is available.

India has registered 44,376 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.

India has reported 46,232 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, with the situation particularly alarming in New Delhi.

India's overall tally of new coronavirus cases remained steady on Saturday, but officials were watching a surge of cases in the capital that comes as people socialize during the festival season.