Covid-19: India records highest jump of coronavirus deaths in a day

New Delhi : Madhya Pradesh registered first death due to Covid-19 virus on Thursday of a 60-year-old woman, raising the toll across India to 16 as six more died due to the coronavirus. This is the highest number of deaths the country has recorded so far in a single day.

70 new coronavirus cases were also registered in the country on Thursday, taking the total toll of positive cases in India to 703. 

Kerala reported 19 fresh Covid-19 cases on Thursday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 126, making it the state with the highest number of positive coronavirus cases in the nation. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that more than 1.2 lakh people are under observation in the state.

Maharashtra is on the second spot with 124 positive cases with one new case each being reported in Mumbai and Thane.

Four fresh cases were recorded in Karnataka on Thursday, taking the tally in the state to 55.

Three more persons, including a couple, tested positive for Covid-19 in Telangana on Thursday.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, three new cases of the virus were detected, taking the state total to 11.

The government on Thursday, meanwhile, allowed the retail sale of drugs at the doorstep of consumers during the 21-day lockdown. “Retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of consumers is essential to meet the requirements of emergency arising due to pandemic Covid-19 and in the public interest," said a gazette notification by the ministry of health and family welfare.