4,518 New Covid-19 Cases, 9 Fresh Fatalities

FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker collects a swab sample from a woman during a rapid antigen testing campaign for the coronavirus disease in Ahmedabad

India logged 4,518 new coronavirus infections taking the tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,31,81,335, while the active cases increased to 25,782, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The death toll climbed to 5,24,701 with nine fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.73 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,730 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.62 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 0.91 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,30,852, while the case fatality rate was 1.22 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.12 crore. India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

The nine new fatalities include four from Kerala, two from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal.

A total of 5,24,701 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,866 from Maharashtra, 69,790 from Kerala, 40,108 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,212 from Delhi, 23,522 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,205 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.