COVID-19: India reports 6,561 new cases; 142 more deaths
India on Thursday reported over 6,000 new COVID-19 cases, a decline of around 1,000 cases from the previous day. The active caseload in the country currently stands at 77,152, which accounts for 0.18% of the total cases. In the past 24 hours, 6,561 new cases and 142 fatalities were reported. Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 recovery rate has reached 98.62%.
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India on Thursday recorded fewer COVID-19 cases than the day before. Meanwhile, both active caseload and weekly positivity rates are also witnessing a declining trend over the last few weeks. Notably, India witnessed a massive spurt in coronavirus infections in December-end and at the beginning of January. The spike in cases—dubbed India's third wave—has been attributed to the Omicron variant.
Nearly 15,000 patients discharged
According to data shared by the Union Health Ministry, India reported a total of 4,29,45,160 COVID-19 cases till Thursday morning, while the cumulative death count reached 5,14,388. With 14,947 fresh discharges, the number of total recoveries in the country climbed to 4,23,53,620. The daily positivity rate and the weekly positivity rate were recorded at 0.74% and 0.99%, respectively.
Kerala adds most new cases
Maharashtra reported 544 new COVID-19 cases along with 1,007 more recoveries. Kerala, the second worst-hit state after Maharashtra, reported 2,373 new cases and 5,525 discharges. The third worst-hit Karnataka added 188 fresh cases and 816 recoveries. Tamil Nadu, the fourth worst-hit state, witnessed 320 new cases and 946 discharges. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh reported 101 new cases and 458 recoveries.
India's second wave peaked on May 7
India's second wave peaked on May 7, 2021, when 4.14 lakh single-day cases were reported, over four times the number of cases reported during the first wave in mid-September 2020. Although infections declined after the second wave peaked, India crossed the three-crore mark on June 23. The country crossed the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020, and the two-crore mark on May 4, 2021.
Over 177 crore vaccine doses administered
Till 10:30 am on Thursday, India administered over 177.9 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. Overall, over 79.4 crore people have been fully vaccinated, while more than 96.6 crore people have received one dose. On Thursday alone, India administered over 2 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses till 10:30 am, including over 1.6 lakh second doses and over 22,000 first doses, according to Co-WIN.
1.9 crore 'precautionary' doses administered
Meanwhile, India has administered over 1.9 crore "precautionary" doses since January 10. On Thursday, over 5,300 healthcare/frontline workers and over 12,000 elderly people were given the precautionary dose till 10:30 am.
India rejects Lancet's study on COVID-19 orphans
Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday rejected a Lancet report that claimed 19 lakh children in India lost a primary caregiver due to COVID-19. Calling the report a "sophisticated trickery," the minister said it intended to "create panic among citizens" and "divorced from the truth and ground realities." She said the actual number of such children was 1.53 lakh.
