PM calls review meeting on COVID-19, vaccination situation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a review meeting with top officials over the COVID-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination exercise in the country, government sources said on Saturday.

Top officers from various ministries will participate in the meeting scheduled for 8 pm on Saturday.

The meeting comes amid a huge surge in COVID-19 cases across the country with reports pouring in from many states about the shortage of hospital facilities and essentials like oxygen supply.

The prime minister has been holding meetings with chief ministers and officials on a regular basis to discuss the situation and take measures to curb the pandemic.

A record single-day rise of 2,34,692 cases and 1,341 fatalities have pushed India''s COVID-19 tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll due to the viral disease to 1,75,649, the health ministry said earlier on Saturday.

The number of active coronavirus cases in the country has also surpassed the 16-lakh mark, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering a steady increase for the 38th day in a row, the tally of active COVID-19 cases has climbed to 16,79,740 in the country, accounting for 11.56 per cent of its total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 87.23 per cent.