For the first time in six months, active coronavirus cases in India have dropped below three lakh. On the week ending Sunday, India recorded 2,99,620 active cases of Covid-19, according to data from the health ministry. The data shows that this is the lowest number of active cases in 191 days (six months) even as India added 26,041 new infections on Sunday. The total number of reported coronavirus cases now stands at 3,36,78,786, while the death toll climbed to 4,47,194 with 276 fresh fatalities.
This was the fourth consecutive week of declining cases in the country after infections rose for a week following a massive spike in Kerala. In May, during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, the number of active cases had risen to as high as 37.45 lakh. Despite Kerala reporting an unusually high number of cases, active cases were showing a steady decline since May. Even now, close to 55 per cent of all active cases in the country can be attributed to Kerala. It has 1.63 lakh active cases as on Sunday.
The caseload as of now resembles a situation like that in February, just before the second wave hit. At least 20 states are now reporting more than 100 cases and 10 others below 100, the way it was during February. Even then, more than half of the caseload was from Kerala and Maharashtra.
Active cases now comprise 0.89 per cent of total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.78 per cent, the ministry said. There has been a decrease of 3,856 active cases in the last 24 hours.
On Sunday, 18 states and union territories did not report any death. This trend has been witnessed for over a week now. But India’s daily deaths are still over 200, with Kerala accounting for close to 60 per cent. Out of the 276 new deaths reported on Sunday, 165 are from Kerala and 36 from Maharashtra.
A total of 4,47,194 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,38,870 from Maharashtra, 37,726 From Karnataka, 35,490 from Tamil Nadu, 25,085 from Delhi, 24,603 from Kerala, 22,890 from Uttar Pradesh, and 18,736 from West Bengal. The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent 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.
Maharashtra has witnessed a significant fall in the average daily Covid-19 cases, helping the state government in easing the curbs and opening up schools, religious places and theatres. The state reported 93,515 cases in September with a daily average of 3,612 cases, much lower from the average daily caseload of 5,125 cases in August.
On the other hand, the national capital reported 29 cases and no death on Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.05 percent, according to data shared by the health department.
More than 84.50 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far and nearly 21 lakh doses are in the pipeline, the Union health ministry said on Monday. Over 4.74 crore balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs for inoculation, it said.
(With PTI inputs)
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