People wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine dose at a government hospital in Karad. PTI

Coronavirus Latest Updates: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has issued guidelines stating that celebrations of Holi are prohibited in public places on 28 and 29 March due to rising COVID-19 cases, News18 reported. Likewise, UP government has also said that permission from local state administration will be needed to hold such celebrations.

Suspension of international flights further extended till 30th April 2021. However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis, the Office of Director General of Civil Aviation said.

The MHA said that there shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods. However, it granted the state governments autonomy to impose local restrictions, at district/ sub-district and city/ ward level based on their assesment of the situation.

India recorded 40,715 coronavirus cases in a day, taking the nationwide infection tally to 1,16,86,796, while the active caseload at 3,45,377 registered an increase for the 13th day in a row, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.

The active caseload now comprises 2.96 percent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 95.67 percent, the ministry data updated at 8 am stated.

The COVID-19 death toll of the country increased to 1,60,166, with 199 daily new fatalities, it said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,11,81,253, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.37 percent, the data stated.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7,30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on 5 September and50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one crore-mark on 19 December.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 23,54,13,233 samples have been tested till 22 March, with9,67,459 samples tested on Monday. Out of the 199 fresh fatalities, 58 each were reported from Maharashtra and Punjab, 12 each from Kerala and Chhattisgarh, and 10 each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

A total of 1,60,166deaths due to the disease have been reported so far in the country, including 53,457 from Maharashtra, 12,609 from Tamil Nadu, 12,444 from Karnataka, 10,963 from Delhi, 10,308 from West Bengal, 8,759 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,191 from Andhra Pradesh, the ministry said.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

With inputs from PTI