Coronavirus India Updates: Over 63,000 Covid Cases In India In A Day, 944 Deaths; Total 25.89 Lakh

Coronavirus India Updates: India has reported over 49,000 Covid-linked deaths so far.

Highlights

US, Brazil have a higher caseload than India
India recorded over 63,000 new coronavirus infections in last 24 hours
The country has logged over 25.89 lakh Covid patients so far

New Delhi: India recorded over 63,000 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 25.89 lakh cases, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. The country- third worst-affected by the pandemic after the United States and Brazil - has been reporting a higher daily surge in caseload for the past 12 days, according to the World Health Organization data. India has reported over 49,000 Covid-linked deaths so far; over 900 Covid-linked deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

Here are 10 developments in this big story:

India has been on top of the list of the countries that are reporting the highest daily surge in coronavirus cases since August 4. While the United States - the pandemic of the epicentre - has logged over 53 lakh cases so far, Brazil has recorded about 33 lakh cases, about 7 lakh more than India.
About 18.62 lakh Covid patients in India have recovered so far; the recovery rate stood at 71.91 per cent this morning, as compared to yesterday's 71.6 per cent. "With sharply falling CASE FATALITY RATE below 2%, India has one of the lowest #COVID19 mortality globally (sic)," the Union Health Ministry said this morning in a tweet.
The positivity rate, which gives an indication of the prevalence of the disease, stood at 8.50 per cent this morning, as compared to yesterday's 7.48 per cent.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are the five states that recorded the highest number of cases in the last 24 hours, the government data shows. These five states also reported the highest number of Covid-linked deaths since yesterday.
With 5.84 lakh cases, Maharashtra is the worst-hit in the country by the outbreak, followed by Tamil Nadu (3.32 lakh cases), Anhdra Pradesh (2.81 lakh cases), Karnataka (2.19 lakh cases).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, during his address to the nation on 74th Independence Day, said that three coronavirus vaccines are at different stages of testing in India and the government has a plan to ensure that a vaccine, when approved, reaches every Indian.
Scientists are working hard on coronavirus vaccine and if their efforts bear fruit, COVID-19 warriors will be the first ones to get the dose, Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said on Saturday, news agency PTI reported.
Bihar on Saturday became the eighth state in India to record over 1 lakh Covid infections.
Russia has started manufacturing its new vaccine for COVID-19, news agency AFP reported on Saturday, citing a report, adding that the vaccine will be rolled out by the end of this month. Russia is the first country to announce a vaccine for the highly infectious disease.
Across the world, over 2.14 crore people have been affected by the pandemic so far; over 7.7 lakh have died. The outbreak began in China's Wuhan city in December.