India has set a new milestone with over 50 per cent of the eligible population inoculated with the first dose of Covid vaccine. The country added 44,658 fresh cases over the last 24 hours while deaths from COVID-19 rose by 496.
The daily positivity rate remains less than 3 per cent for the last 28 days and is presently at 2.10 per cent. Active cases constitute 1.06% of total cases, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands 97.60 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said.
Meanwhile, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 61 crore landmark milestone, as per the provisional report issued on Thursday by Union Health Ministry. An official statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said that 61,10,43,573 vaccine doses have been administered so far.
Nearly 68 lakh (67,87,305) vaccine doses were administered on Thursday on the 223rd day of the vaccination drive, as per the 7 pm provisional report. "Final reports would be completed for the day by late tonight" a release by the Health Ministry stated.
As per the statement, 47,19,00,520 doses were inoculated as first dose while 13,91,43,053 were administered as the second dose. On Thursday, 46,88,114 vaccine jabs were given as first dose to eligible beneficiaries and 20,99,191 were given as second dose.
Taking to Twitter, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed that 50 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated with first dose of the vaccine. "India achieves unprecedented milestone! 50 per cent of the eligible population inoculated with the first dose of #COVID19 vaccine. Keep it up India. Let us fight Corona," he wrote.