India reported 15,786 fresh COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Friday. Of these new infections, Kerala reported 8,733 COVID-19 cases. At present, India's caseload of active cases stands at 1,75,745 that is the lowest in 232 days. Active cases account for less than 1 per cent of the total cases in the country, currently at 0.51 per cent. It is the lowest since March 2020.
Meanwhile, India achieved a significant feat on Thursday as it completed administering 100 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine to eligible beneficiaries. The landmark figure was reached at 9:47 AM yesterday, according to the government's Co-WIN portal. India's COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16, 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India's COVID-19 vaccination drive as a journey from "anxiety to assurance" that has made the country emerge stronger, and credited its success to people's trust in the vaccines despite "various efforts to create mistrust and panic".'
"When everyone takes ownership, nothing is impossible. Our healthcare workers traversed hills and crossed rivers across difficult geographies to vaccinate people. Our youth, social workers, healthcare workers, social and religious leaders, all deserve credit for the fact that India faces minimal vaccine hesitancy when compared to even developed nations," PM Modi wrote in an opinion piece a day after the cumulative vaccine doses crossed the landmark figure of 100 crores.
Here are the LIVE updates on coronavirus cases:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a nation today after the country crossed a massive milestone of 100 crore Covid vaccinations, said it was "not just a number" but the symbol of the country's ability and of "new India".
"India has administered 1 billion vaccine doses, a testament to India's innovation, ability to manufacture at scale, and the efforts of millions of health workers backed by CoWIN. Congratulations," Bill Gates tweeted.
India reported 15,786 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 14 per cent lower than yesterday's 18,454 cases. The government has been continuously speeding up the vaccination drive across the country.
100 crore vaccine jabs is just not a number. It is the reflection of the capacity of this country, this is a new chapter of the country, a country that knows how to achieve huge targets, PM Modi said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted today that he will address the nation today at 10 AM. The announcement comes a day afterthe country reached the one billion COVID-19 vaccinations milestone mark.
"Congrats to @MoHFW_India, @MansukhMandviya, @DrBharatiPPawar, and the people of India on their huge feat of administering 1 billion doses and vaccinating more than 478 million women. And thank you to the frontline workers who made it possible," Melinda French Gates, an American philanthropist and former computer scientist and general manager at Microsoft tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India's COVID-19 vaccination drive as a journey from "anxiety to assurance" that has made the country emerge stronger.
It took India a little over nine months to achieve the one billion vaccination milestone, but the next billion doses will only take about three to four months, said Dr NK Arora, who heads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration
India on Thursday reached the milestone of one billion or 100 crore Covid shots administered in the country, the second after China to do so. India reached the landmark in 278 days, having begun the vaccination drive on January 16. Read here.