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India has been recording less than 50,000 fresh COVID-19 infections for the last 17 days, when the case count remained between 30,000 and 47,000. The last time daily new cases crossed the 50,000 mark was on November 7.
Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala and Rajasthan continued to log the highest daily infections, accounting for 50 per cent of all cases in the country. Barring Rajasthan and Kerala, the top three states along with Haryana and Karnataka also saw the maximum Covid-related deaths in India, accounting for 52 per cent of all one-day fatalities.
At 121, Delhi saw the highest Covid deaths in the past day, pushing the fatalities to 8,512. This is the sixth time in the last 12 days that the daily number of deaths has crossed the 100-mark. The capital city logged 4,454 fresh infections. The relatively low number of fresh cases came out of almost 37,000 tests conducted on Sunday, including 18,000 RT-PCR tests.
A Covid negative report from an RT-PCR test will be needed for people travelling to Maharashtra from Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa -- states witnessing a Covid case surge. Maharashtra has been the worst-hit state with almost 18 lakh cases, but is now recovering. It issued detailed guidelines to put a check on incoming people and prevent a relapse.
Himachal Pradesh - where the percentage rise in Covid cases and deaths was among the highest in the country in November - became the latest state to impose night curfew, restrictions on public gatherings, Rs 1,000 fine for not wearing mask and revised attendance rules for offices; schools have been shut.
Amid signs of another wave of COVID-19 infections in winter months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet chief ministers of 8 states - Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The Prime Minister is also likely to discuss a nationwide vaccine distribution plan with the heads of all states amid reports of Oxford-AstarZeneca vaccine candidate showing 90 per cent efficacy in late-stage trials.
In India, the results offer hope of cost-effective and fast immunisation as the vaccine manufacturer - Serum Institute of India - promised 50 per cent of all doses (100 million vaccine doses by January) for the domestic market.
Globally, the novel coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) has infected more than 5.9 crore people and killed almost 14 lakh of them since the outbreak in China's Wuhan province late last year.
US, worst-hit nation by the pandemic, alone accounts for 1.2 crore COVID-19 cases with 2.6 lakh coronavirus related deaths.
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