25,467 New Covid Cases In India, Recovery Rate Highest Since March 2020

Active Covid cases have declined to 3,19,551 in India, lowest in 156 days. Active cases constitute less than 1 per cent of total infections. 39,486 patients recovered in the last 24 hours taking total recoveries so far to over 3.17 crore.

The recovery rate has been steadily increasing. It is currently at 97.68 per cent, highest since March last year. The daily positivity rate is at 1.55 per cent - less than 3 per cent for 29 straight days in a sign of relief. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Covid positivity rate below 5 per cent to be within the safe zone.

Maharashtra recorded 27 new cases of the Delta Plus COVID-19 variant on Monday, taking the total number of Delta Plus cases in the state to 103. The state is conducting genome sequencing tests of Covid patients' samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus.

Delhi reported 17 cases of coronavirus, the lowest since March 28 last year, and zero related deaths in 24 hours, data shared by the health department showed.

Kerala has been affected gravely in the past few months with over 20,000 infections just last Friday. The total infections in the state has crossed 38 lakhs, second only to Maharashtra. State Health Minister Veena George said the Kerala government is taking the best possible measures to contain the disease.

There is insufficient evidence to suggest a third Covid wave will affect children more than adults, the National Institute of Disaster Management has indicated, while warning there is still "cause for worry, if not panic" so long as they remain unvaccinated and existing medical facilities remain inadequate.

Concerns over a third wave have been frequently expressed over the past weeks, particularly with potentially more virulent variants of the virus in circulation - such as the 'Delta Plus' - as restrictions are eased across the country.

Over 63.85 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. The total doses administered in the country has exceeded 58.89 crore so far, the health ministry said.

Zydus Cadila, whose Covid vaccine ZyCoV-D for adults and children aged 12 years and above got approval recently, said it hopes to produce one crore doses per month by October. ZyCoV-D is the world's first plasmid DNA vaccine against the coronavirus.

With emergency use approvals for Zydus Cadila and Johnson & Johnson, India now has six Covid vaccines, although across-board availability is still an issue with some yet to be readily available.