Covid-19 Cases in India: The recovery rate was recorded at 98.07 per cent.
India recorded 16,862 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,37,592, while the active cases declined to 2,03,678, the lowest in 216 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The number of deaths climbed to 4,51,814 with 379 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 21 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 110 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.60 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.07 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
470 new COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths in KarnatakaKarnataka on Friday recorded 470 fresh COVID-19 cases and nine deaths, taking the caseload and death toll to 29,82,869 and 37,931, the health department said.
The day also saw 368 people being discharged, pushing the total number of recoveries to 29,35,238.
Active cases stood at 9,671, a department bulletin said.
Kerala records 8,867 new Covid casesKerala reported 8,867 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The active cases in the state now stand at 94,756.
Total recoveries: 47,16,728
Death toll: 26,734
Active cases: 94,756
From Covid to cancer: High hopes for 'versatile' mRNAThe coronavirus pandemic has made vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna and the mRNA technology that they use into household names.
These types of jabs are new but researchers have been working for decades to try to figure out how to use messenger RNA for other vaccinations and to treat illnesses from AIDS to cancer.
Ladakh records six new COVID-19 cases
In the last 24 hours, Ladakh recorded six new COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally in the Union Territory to 20,867.
Covid outbreak in Delhi shows herd immunity against Delta variant difficult: Study
The high number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi during the second wave shows that the Delta variant can infect even those who have previously been infected by a different variant of coronavirus, an international team of scientists said today.
The study also said that achieving herd immunity against the Delta variant would be difficult.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik not to celebrate birthday due to COVID-19 situation
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who will turn 75 on Saturday, has decided not to celebrate his birthday in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, a CMO statement said.
This will be the fourth consecutive year when the BJD supremo will give his birthday celebrations a miss.
He did not allow any function on his birth anniversary last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patnaik had chosen not to celebrate the occasion in 2019 due to Cyclone Fani and also in 2018 owing to Cyclone Titli. Both the storms had battered Odisha.
The CM urged members of the ruling BJD and his well-wishers not to visit his residence ''Naveen Niwas'' on Saturday and appealed to them to organise blood donation camps during the day.
Active COVID-19 cases in country lowest in 216 days
India logged 16,862 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,37,592, while the active cases declined to 2,03,678, the lowest in 216 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll climbed to 4,51,814 with 379 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 21 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 110 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.60 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.07 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.
Sydney To Open To Fully Vaccinated, No Quarantine, But "Citizens First"
Sydney will allow in fully vaccinated travellers from overseas from Nov. 1 without the need for quarantine, the country's most populous state said on Friday, although the easing of strict entry controls will initially benefit only citizens.
The move comes as New South Wales state is expected to reach an 80% first dose vaccination rate on Saturday, well ahead of the rest of Australia, and brings forward the expected return of overseas travel by several weeks.
"We need to rejoin the world. We can't live here in hermit kingdom. We've got to open up," New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
Australia closed its borders in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing entry almost exclusively to only citizens and permanent residents who are currently required to undergo two weeks of hotel quarantine at their own expense.
As well ditching plans for home quarantine, which had been expected to replace the hotel stays, Perrottet said New South Wales would welcome all overseas arrivals. But he was quickly overruled by Prime Minister Scott Morrison who said the government would stick with plans to first open the border to citizens and permanent residents.
Just In| 16,862 fresh Covid cases in India, 11% lower than yesterday
Coronavirus Live Updates: India conducts over 11 lakh COVID-19 tests in last 24 hours
In an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, over 11 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours with which the total tests conducted so far crossed 58.88 crores, informed Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday.
A total of 11,80,148 samples were tested on Thursday to detect the presence of the virus in the population. So far, 58,88,44,673 tests have been conducted across the country since the onset of the pandemic last year.
Meanwhile, India on Thursday reported 18,987 new COVID-19 cases, 19,808 recoveries and 246 deaths.
Just In| Total 58,88,44,673 samples tested up to October 14, of which 11,80,148 were tested on October 14: Ministry of Health
Coronavirus Updates: 3 new cases take COVID-19 tally of Andamans to 7,640Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported three new COVID-19 cases, which took the tally in the Union Territory to 7,640, a health department official said on Friday.
The fresh cases were detected during contact tracing, he said.
The death toll remained at 129 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours, the official said.
Two more persons were cured of the disease during the period, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 7,501.
The Union Territory now has 10 active cases.
Update| Sydney to end Covid quarantine for fully vaccinated international travellers from November 1: News agency Reuters
India has faced Covid crisis with resilience and fortitude: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
India has not only faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude but has also played a major role and "walked the talk" on the global fight against it, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said.
Pointing out the fast recovery of India's economy, Ms Sitharaman in her address to the Development Committee of the World Bank said the Modi Government, besides taking economic relief measures, has also undertaken significant structural reforms to turn the crisis into an opportunity and emerge stronger.
"The measures undertaken by the government have set a strong foundation for India's sustained economic growth," she said.
According to the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook, India is estimated to be the fastest-growing major economy in 2021, projected to grow at 9.5 per cent in 2021 and 8.5 per cent in 2022.
Observing that despite the pandemic, India received its highest ever FDI inflows of USD82.0 billion in fiscal 2020-21, the finance minister said this trend in India's FDI is an endorsement of its status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors.
Addressing the Development Committee meeting, Ms Sitharaman said India has faced the COVID-19 crisis with great resilience and fortitude.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Assam Logs 207 New COVID-19 Cases, 2 Related Fatalities
Assam's COVID-19 tally rose to 6,05,847 on Thursday as 207 more people tested positive for the infection while two fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 5,938, a health bulletin said. The positivity rate rose to 1.53 per cent from 0.85 per cent on Wednesday, it said.