India on Wednesday registered 2,85,914 new coronavirus cases, taking the overall tally in the country to 4,00,85,116 since the pandemic began in January 2020. The number of new cases on Wednesday was 11.74% higher than Tuesday’s count of 2,55,874 infections.
In the past 24 hours, 665 people died of Covid-19, taking the overall number of deaths to 4,91,127.
The daily positivity rate increased to 16.16% on Wednesday from 15.52% on the previous day.
The country has 22,23,018 active cases as on Wednesday morning, and the number declined by 13,824 in the past day. Active cases currently account for 5.55% of the country’s total caseload.
The nationwide recovery rate is currently at 93.23%, and 2,99,073 people recovered from the disease in the past day, data from the Union health ministry showed.
In the past day, 59,50,731 coronavirus vaccine doses were administered in the country, taking the total number of doses administered to 1,63,58,44,536. Out of these, 94,28,266 precaution doses have been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens.
India updates
Kerala on Tuesday registered 55,475 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day rise in the state since the pandemic began, PTI reported.
The highest number of infections was reported from Ernakulam (9,405), Thiruvananthapuram (8,606) and Thrissur (5,520).
In the past 24 hours, 154 persons died due to the disease in the state, taking the overall fatality count to 52,141.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 recoveries exceeded the number of new cases for the first time in Karnataka in the third wave, The Indian Express reported. According to figures from the Karnataka health department, the state recorded 41,400 new cases and 53,093 recoveries.
The state has 3,50,742 active coronavirus cases at present.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday urged health ministers of nine states and nine union territories to ramp up testing and vaccination, ANI reported. He made the statement during a review meeting with the ministers.
Mandaviya also said that patients in home isolation should be monitored in accordance with the national guidelines.
President Ram Nath Kovind, in his address on the eve of Republic Day on Tuesday, said that the coronavirus pandemic is still widespread, and urged people not to let their guard down.
“In the fight against the COVID pandemic, it has now become a sacred national duty of every citizen to follow the precautions suggested by our scientists and experts,” Kovind said. “We have to discharge this duty till the crisis is behind us.”
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