India Covid-19 Cases: The vaccination coverage crossed 172.29 crores in the country. (File)
As many as 44,877 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in the country, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. With this, the country's active caseload currently stands at 5,37,045 which accounts for 1.26 per cent of total cases.
The daily positivity rate in India has been recorded at 3.17 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 4.46 per cent.
A total of 1,17,591 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients since the beginning of the pandemic is now at 4,15,85,711. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 97.55 per cent.
In a first during the third wave, Mumbai reported a positivity rate of under 1 per cent on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the country's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 172.29 crores with the administration of over 46.82 lakh doses during the past 24 hours, informed Union Health Ministry on Saturday. "With the administration of more than 46.82 lakh (46,82,662) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 172.29 Cr (1,72,29,47,688) as per provisional reports till 7 am today," the ministry said in a press release.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus cases in India:
One-day recoveries surpass fresh COVID-19 cases in Meghalaya
Single-day recoveries outnumbered new COVID-19 cases in Meghalaya on Sunday as 156 people were cured of the disease and 58 more tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The fresh cases raised the tally to 92,991, while 90,678 people have so far recovered from the disease, he said.
The death count rose 1,562 as one more COVID patient succumbed to the infection, Health Services Director Dr Aman War said.
The northeastern state had on Saturday logged 86 new cases and two fatalities.
Meghalaya now has 751 active cases, Dr War said.
Universities, colleges to start offline classes in Jammu and Kashmir from Monday
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday decided to reopen schools for classes 9-12, while colleges and universities will start offline classes on Monday. The educational institutes were shut for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the new COVID-19 guidelines, universities, colleges, ITIs to start offline classes from February 14.
"All Universities, Colleges, Polytechnics, ITIs shall commence routine offline teaching after ensuring readiness for enforcement of COVID Appropriate Behaviour and Standard Operating Procedures from February-14", stated the order.
Schools in the summer zone of Jammu and Kashmir will reopen in a phased manner from 14 February, while teaching for all classes in the winter zone schools will begin on 28 February. Junior classes will begin on 21 February.
70% Children In Age 15-18 Receive First Dose Of Covid Vaccine: Minister
Over 70 per cent of India's adolescents in the 15-18 age group have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said today. He also appealed to all those in this age group who are eligible for vaccination to get inoculated at the earliest.
"Young India further strengthening the world's largest vaccination drive. Over 70% of our youngsters between 15-18 age group have received their 1st dose of COVID19 vaccine," Mr Mandaviya said.
Health ministry data showed over 1.47 crore beneficiaries in the 15 to 18 age group are fully vaccinated.
Infant among 22 Covid deaths in Odisha; positivity rate below 2%Twenty-two more coronavirus patients, including an infant, have died in Odisha and 1,148 people tested positive for the pathogen, the Health Department said on Sunday.
The daily positivity rate was 1.82 per cent, the first time it fell below the threshold of 2 per cent since January 5.
As COVID-19 cases fall, Madhya Pradesh allows visitors to meet jail inmatesThe Madhya Pradesh government has decided to allow people to meet their relatives lodged in prisons in the wake of a decline in COVID-19 cases in the state, an official said on Sunday.
Earlier, the state government had on January 15 banned visitors from meeting prison inmates till March 31 this year in an attempt to prevent the spread of the viral infection.
Covid Update: Mizoram registers 1,883 new recoveriesWith 10,802 active COVID-19 cases reported in Mizoram, the state registered 634 deaths so far informed, the state Department of Information and Public Relation on Sunday.
With 1,883 new recoveries, the state lodged a total of 1,81,931 recoveries and the recovery improved to 94.08 per cent.
Active COVID-19 cases in country dip to 5,37045Daily new COVID-19 cases in the country dipped below 50,000 after around 40 days, taking the country's infection tally to 4,26,31,421, while the active cases declined to 5,37,045, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
179 new COVID-19 cases in Thane, 3 more deathsWith the addition of 179 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 7,07,066, while three more fatalities pushed the death toll to 11,845, an official said on Sunday.
These new cases and deaths were reported on Saturday, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in Thane was 1.67 per cent.
COVID-19: India Sends Medical Supplies To Pacific Island Nation Of Kiribati
India on Saturday delivered medical supplies to Kiribati after the Pacific island nation appealed for help to deal with the first outbreak of COVID-19.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the consignment comprised pulse oximeters, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits and emergency COVID-19 medication.
It said the medical supplies to Kiribati affirm India's commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support as an early responder in the Pacific region.
"Responding to the appeal of the government of Kiribati seeking offers of support to assist in its national efforts to manage the first COVID-19 outbreak in the Pacific Island country, the government of India sent a consignment of medical supplies containing PPEs and medications to Kiribati," the MEA said.
Kerala Reports 15,184 COVID-19 Cases
Kerala logged 15,184 new Covid-19 cases and 427 deaths on Saturday, pushing the total case tally in the state to 63,96,247 and the death count to 62,053 respectively, said State Department of Health.
Of the deaths, 23 were reported in the last 24 hours, while the rest were added as backlog, a press release said.
With 38,819 more people recovering since Friday, the total recoveries reached 61,52,076. As the number of recoveries were more than the new cases, the active ones went down to 1,81,347, the release said.
India supplies medical assistance to Iran as part of ongoing humanitarian effort, including Covid vaccine provision
India supplied medical assistance consisting of anti-Tuberculosis medicines, as part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance to Iran on February 12.
According to an MEA statement, last year in the joint fight against the COVID pandemic, India had supplied humanitarian assistance to Iran consisting of one million doses of COVAXIN vaccine.
Furthermore, to ensure food security, India also supplied 40,000 litres of Malathion pesticide to Iran under the Government-to-Government initiative for Locust Control Programme.
All COVID-19 Restrictions To Be Lifted In Bihar From February 14
All COVID-19 restrictions in Bihar will be lifted from February 14 till further orders, said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday. The decision was taken on account of declining COVID-19 cases in the state during a review meeting.
"The current status of COVID-19 infection was reviewed today. In view of the continuous decrease in corona infection, all types of restrictions have been lifted from February 14 till further orders," said a tweet from the Chief Minister.
Mr Kumar said that all activities will resume normally while complying with COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). District authorities have been authorised to impose restrictions as per local circumstances.
"Now all activities will operate normally with COVID appropriate behavior and compliance with the prescribed standard operating procedure. The district officials have been authorized to impose restrictions as per the local circumstances," said another tweet from the Chief Minister.