New Delhi, March 02:

India has added 81,466 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, setting another highest daily-high, amid a worrying surge in Covid cases that has prompted many states to consider return of school closures, restrictions on public gatherings and other virus-fighting measures, including lockdown in their worst-hit districts. The daily rise in infections today was the highest recorded since start of October, while the number of fatalities has risen to 1,63,396 with 469 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh continue to show a steep rise in daily new cases, accounting for 84.61 per cent of the new cases reported in a span of 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.