India on Wednesday recorded 4,205 deaths due to Covid, the highest till date with 3,48,421 fresh cases, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. On May 8, India had recorded 4,187 deaths in 24 hours, while on May 7, India recorded its highest ever-fresh cases 4,14,188.

In the past 20 days, India's daily Covid tally has plateaued over the three-lakh mark and over 3,000 casualties for a fortnight. India's total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,33,40,938 with 37,04,099 active cases and 2,54,197 deaths so far.

corona virus

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 3,55,338 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 1,93,82,642 being cured of Covid to date. The Ministry said that a total of 17,52,35,991 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 24,46,674 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 30,75,83,991 samples have been tested up to May 11 for Covid-19. Of these 19,83,804 samples were tested on Tuesday.

Vaccine shortage

However, vaccine shortage continued to batter the recovery process. As states have been tasked to undertake their own initiatives to provide vaccines, the Delhi government said it will float a global tender for procuring Covid vaccines to meet its own target of vaccinating three lakh people per month. 

Other states have sought supplies from SII and Bharat Biotech for Covishield and Covaxin respectively and awaiting supplies. Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday that it will directly supply Covaxin to 18 states this month. 

The states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The company, however, has not come out with details of the supplies like the number of doses supplied to the states.