India reported 24,354 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a slight decrease of 8.8 per cent from Friday. The majority of cases were reported from Kerala -- 13,834 new cases in 24 hours.
India's active caseload stands at 2,73,889, lowest in 197 days, which accounts for less than 0.81 per cent of total cases -- lowest since March 2020. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.86 per cent, highest since March 2020. At least 25,455 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total number of recoveries to 3,30,68,599.
A total of 89.74 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.
Kerala reported majority of new cases in India, 13,834, and 95 deaths, taking the infection count to 46,94,719 and the death count to 25,182. Delhi recorded 32 fresh COVID-19 cases and no death while the positivity rate in the city currently stands at 0.05 per cent. There are 409 active Covid cases in the national capital.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19):
India reported 22,842 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a slight decrease of six per cent from yesterday. The country also reported 244 deaths.
Assam on Saturday reported 246 fresh COVID-19 cases, 272 recoveries and four deaths.
As per the state''s health department, the cumulative caseload reached 6,02,712, which includes 2,971 active cases.
Chhattisgarh's coronavirus infection tally rose to 10,05,387 on Saturday with addition of eight cases, while the death count remained unchanged at 13,566, a health official said.
The number of recoveries rose to 9,91,556 after four people were discharged from hospitals and 16 completed home isolation during the day.
There are 265 active cases in the state.
Raipur, Durg and Raigarh districts recorded two new cases each, while Bastar and Kanker recorded one case each.
No new case was reported in remaining 23 districts of the state.
Delhi on Saturday recorded one death due to COVID-19 and 33 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 0.05 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.
Only five fatalities due to coronavirus infection were reported last month, one each on September 7, September 16 and September 17, and two on September 28, according to official figures.
This is the first fatality due to coronavirus infection recorded in October this year in Delhi. The death toll due to the coronavirus infection in the national capital now stands at 25,088.
Movie theatres and auditoriums will reopen from October 25 with 50 per cent occupancy for those who have taken two doses of any coronavirus vaccine, the state government said on Saturday in an order announcing the relaxation of several COVID-19 restrictions.
Fully vaccinated students will also be allowed to go to college from October 18, the order said.
A high-level COVID-19 evaluation meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijaya also decided that the number of people for weddings and funerals be increased to 50.
Theatres and auditoriums in Kerala have remained shut for over one and half years since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Worldwide deaths related to COVID-19 surpassed 5 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant causes a surge in death, mainly among the unvaccinated.
More than half of the world has yet to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World in Data.
It took almost over a year for the COVID-19 deaths to hit 2.5 million, while the next 2.5 million deaths were recorded in 236 days, according to a Reuters analysis
More than half of all global deaths reported on a seven-day average were in the United States, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and India.
Fully vaccinated travellers from any country can now book holidays to tourism haven Phuket, the Thai government has announced, under tweaks to a struggling quarantine-free travel scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has credited India's "stunning success in vaccinating its people" to the country being atmanirbhar or self-reliant, adding that he made sure that technology formed the backbone of the vaccination process.
With the addition of 293 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 5,59,644, while the death of three patients took the count to 11,413, an official said. These cases and fatalities were reported on Friday.
India reported 24,354 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, a slight decrease of 8.8 per cent from yesterday. The majority of cases were reported from Kerala -- 13,834 new cases in 24 hours.
Haryana recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, according to the health department's daily bulletin. No Covid-related death was reported.
Kolkata and North 24 Parganas recorded four deaths each, the bulletin said.
The number of active cases in the state was 7,571, it said.