India approves emergency use of Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, reports ANI. The news comes on a day when India recorded 1,68,912 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise. 

Also read: Maharashtra postpones class 10 and 12 state board exams due to COVID-19

Registering a steady increase for the 33rd day in row, the active cases have increased to 12,01,009 comprising 8.88% of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 89.86%.

The national COVID-19 recovery rate has fallen below 90%.

Also read: 16 states leading contributors to India’s galloping COVID numbers

Several states have also recorded a vaccine shortage. The vaccination centers in the 71 private hospitals in Maharashtra stopped functioning on April 10 and April 11 due to the shortage of vaccines. The inoculation drive, however, continued in civic and government hospitals.