The second wave of COVID-19, which caused an unprecedented rise in cases and deaths across India, is not yet over, the government warned on Friday, urging people to avoid crowding and keep wearing masks.

"The war is not over yet," VK Paul, who heads the government's COVID task force, said at the Union Health Ministry press conference.

"The second wave is not over yet. There is still danger. It is necessary to keep following Covid protocol in order to close the second wave fully," he added.

During the conference, a video that showed several tourists maskless at Mussorie's Kempty Falls was played out.

Calling the gathering a "serious cause of concern", Health Secretary Luv Agarwal said: "Is it not an open invitation to the virus to infect us?"

 PM Narendra Modi on Friday reviewed the progress of oxygen augmentation and availability across the country, IBNS said. 

Officials briefed PM about the progress on the installation of PSA Oxygen plants across the country.

More than 1500 PSA Oxygen plants are coming up across the nation, a government statement said. 

India registered 43,393 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours taking the active caseload to  458,727, as per Ministry of Health released data. The death toll due to the disease now stands at 405,939 with the addition of 911 deaths in the past 24