PM To Hold Meet With Chief Ministers Of 7 States As Covid Cases Rise

The health ministry data showed the country's recovery rate now stands at 79.28 per cent (File)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the coronavirus situation with the chief ministers of seven states - badly hit by the pandemic - on September 23 via video conferencing. The meeting comes as most of the states in the country have been witnessing an alarming rise in the number of Covid cases over the last few weeks.

The seven states include Delhi, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, which are the worst affected in the country as of now.

On Saturday, India recorded 93,337 fresh infections in a day, which took the grand total past 53 lakh cases. 95,880 coronavirus patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

The health ministry data showed the country's recovery rate now stands at 79.28 per cent - the highest in the world.  

India- the second worst coronavirus hit country in the world after the United States - also recorded 1,247 deaths in a day, taking its total count to 85,619.  

About 60 per cent of the country's active coronavirus cases are concentrated across five worst-hit states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

In September, the country reported close to one lakh cases almost every day. Its total of cases in the month stands at a whopping 16,86,769. Its positivity rate has increased to 10.58 per cent from 7.5 per cent in mid-July.

India has the dubious distinction of having the fastest growth rate as far as the coronavirus cases are concerned.

India has doubled its testing in the past month to a total of 6.24 crore tests, with 8.81 lakh tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry says.  

PM Modi had met the Chief Ministers of several states last month and said India will win against the pandemic if 10 worst-affected states defeat the virus.