COVID-19 cases in country register steepest overall increase since end-November

Data released on Monday morning shows that active COVID-19 cases registered steepest overall increase since end-November. The increase by 4,421 in 24 hours - a spike of three per cent – took the number of cases over the 1.5 lakh mark for the first time in 17 days.

With 13,506 new cases, this is the fifth consecutive day in which active cases have increased in this period, as per a report carried by NDTV.

The spike in national numbers comes from five states - Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The govt has warned all five states that continued "adherence to Covid-appropriate behavior" is critical to break the chain of transmission and contain the coronavirus.

"Over 74 per cent of active cases are in Kerala and Maharashtra... there has also been a spike in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh... Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are also witnessing a surge in daily new cases," the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

As per the report, Maharashtra is the worst-affected state, with the seven-day moving average of new cases at 5,230 on Monday morning, the highest since 5,576 on December 2. 6,971 new cases were reported in 24 hours, the most since October 24, when 7,347 were detected.

In Kerala, the second worst-affected state, the seven-day moving average of new cases was 4,361 this morning and 4,070 new cases were reported in 24 hours.