Covid cases in India: The active cases declined to 1,81,075 in the country.
India on Tuesday reported 13,405 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the virus tally to over 4.28 crore cases. According to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the number of active cases has fallen below two lakh after 49 days.
The daily positivity rate was at 1.24 per cent. India's Covid recovery tally increased to 4,21,58,510 with 34,226 recoveries in 24 hours.
The death count climbed to 5,12,344 with 235 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 9 am stated.The daily COVID-19 cases have remained below one lakh for 16 consecutive days.
The active cases declined to 1,81,075, comprising 0.42 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.38 per cent..
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus cases in India:
Barring Mask, Maharashtra Considers Dropping All Covid RestrictionsMaharashtra hopes to drop all Covid restrictions by March, state health minister Rajesh Tope said as on Monday, the number of fresh Covid cases dropped to double digits in Mumbai -- a first in 22 months. Active cases too, dropped at their lowest in almost two years.
On Monday, the Maximum City reported only 96 fresh cases -- double digits for the first time since April 17, 2020.
Overall, Maharashtra reported 806 fresh Covid cases on Monday --- the lowest in two months. But today, the numbers went up to 1,080. The state also recorded a big jump in fatalities - going up to 47 from just four yesterday.
After unusually low daily case count yesterday, Mumbai sees 135 Covid casesA day after reporting less than 100 COVID-19 cases, Mumbai on Tuesday added 135 patients to its tally and recorded two fresh fatalities due to the infection, a civic official said.
The caseload in the metropolis now stands at 10,55,792 and the COVID-19 death toll is 16,690.
With 233 being discharged after treatment, the recoveries went up to 10,34,914 in Mumbai. The active tally in the city stood at 1,315.
Some 85 per cent, or 115 cases, of the 135 detected during the day were asymptomatic.
Tuesday was the third day in a row when the addition to the tally was less than 200, with Monday's 96 being the lowest since April 2020.
Kerala reports 5,691 new Covid cases, 130 deaths, adding 120 as backlogKerala on Tuesday recorded 5,691 fresh COVID-19 infections, raising the total caseload to 64,78,750 in the state.
The southern state also reported 130 deaths which pushed the total fatalities in Kerala up to 64,403, according to a government release.
Of the deaths, 10 were reported in the last 24 hours, 81 were those which occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 39 were designated as Covid deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre.
With 10,896 more people recovering from the virus since Monday, the total recoveries in the state reached 63,59,953 and the active cases dropped to 53,597, the release said.
Covid Leak From Wuhan Lab? China's Actions Seem SuspectChinese President Xi Jinping's deployment of an army general to take charge of Wuhan labs makes it clear that Xi was never transparent about the origin of the virus and it was merely to set false narratives, reported Providence. Read more here.
Maharashtra government order to allow only fully vaccinated people in local trains 'illegal', says High CourtThe Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government's orders of 2021 permitting only people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel in local trains were "illegal" and brazenly affected the fundamental rights of citizens.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik said the three orders signed by the government's then chief secretary Sitaram Kunte were in clear diversion from the prescribed procedure under the Disaster Management Rules.
On Tuesday, the government's counsel, Anil Anturkar, informed the court that the three orders in question (issued on July 15, August 10 and August 11, 2021) stand withdrawn.
"The state executive committee would be holding a meeting on February 25 following which fresh directives would be issued," Mr Anturkar said.
Dubai Ends Rapid PCR Test At Airport For Travelers From IndiaDubai on Tuesday removed the requirements for Indian travellers to undergo rapid RTPCR at Indian airports before departing to UAE.
An advisory issued by the Dubai Airport updated the travel requirements for passengers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The fresh advisory requires Indian nationals to produce a negative COVID-19 test certificate taken up to 48 hours before the scheduled departure of the flight, from an approved health service provider. The passengers will require to undergo a PCR test upon their arrival in Dubai.
Queen Elizabeth II, 95, Cancels Engagements Over Covid SymptomsQueen Elizabeth II has cancelled her planned virtual engagements for Tuesday due to "mild" coronavirus symptoms, Buckingham Palace said.
The 95-year-old head of state was still suffering from "mild cold-like symptoms" after testing positive on Sunday, but would "continue with light duties", a spokesman said.
Marginal rise in daily COVID-19 cases in PuducherryPuducherry saw a marginal increase in daily coronavirus cases with 27 new infections being confirmed during the last twenty-four hours ending 10 am on Tuesday.
The overall caseload shot up to 1,65,646. On Monday, 22 fresh cases were detected.
Thane reports 51 new COVID-19 cases, 1 deathThane has added 51 new cases of coronavirus, raising the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 7,07,973, while one death pushed the toll to 11,863, an official said on Tuesday.
These new cases and death were reported on Monday, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district was 1.67 per cent.
Just in: 13,405 fresh Covid cases in India, 16% lower than yesterday.