India registered another huge spike of 94,372 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, which pushed the overall tally to above 4.75 million. This is the fourth consecutive day when the new Covid-19 cases in the country have hovered around 95,000.

According to Union health ministry update on Sunday, the number of active cases has reached 9,73,175 and 37,02,595 patients have been discharged.

Another 1,114 people died due to the disease which pushed the death toll to 78,586, the health ministry update showed.

Amid a record surge in coronavirus infections in the country, PK Mishra, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, reviewed the Covid-19 response in the country on Saturday.

He directed all concerned to develop an evidence-based preparedness on all aspects of the disease with the active participation of districts and states for effectiveness.

The various stages of vaccine development and plans for its distribution were also discussed at the meeting, which was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Member NITI Aayog Dr Vinod Paul, Principal Scientific Adviser K Vijay Raghavan, all empowered action group convenors concerned as well as secretaries of departments concerned.

Integration of AYUSH for prophylaxis and mitigation of syndrome was also discussed, as well as the need for District Health Action Plans for long-term management of various aspects of coronavirus infection.

Mishra emphasised on the need for caution and prevention by maintaining a two-metre distance, use of mask and washing hands. Care for the elderly, the need to strictly follow the norms of physical distancing and preventive measures was re-emphasized at the meeting.

The health ministry, meanwhile, said on Sunday that the number of recoveries in India has seen an exponential rise in the past few months. From 50,000 in May, the number of recovered patients has crossed 36 lakh-mark, it said.

The ministry credited aggressive testing and prompt surveillance for this milestone.