The daily rise in new coronavirus infections were recorded above 18,000 for the second consecutive day taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,12,10,799, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
The active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day and the COVID-19 active caseload increased to 1,84,523 which now comprises 1.65 per cent of the total infections.
The recovery rate has dropped further to 96.95 per cent, the ministry data stated.
A total of 18,711 new infections were registered in a day, while the death count increased to 1,57,756 with 100 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 2.06 crore, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.
The nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers, while frontline workers stated receiving vaccine shots from February 2. Providing the second dose of COVID-19 shots started on February 13.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for those senior citizens and for people aged 45 years and above with specified comorbid conditions.
According to a provisional report till Saturday 7 pm, a total of 2,06,62,073 vaccine doses have been given.
Here are the Latest News Live Updates:
Mar 08, 2021 04:24 (IST)
Denied Ticket, 4-Time Trinamool MLA Sonali Guha Heads To BJP
Sonali Guha, once a close aide of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and a four-time MLA of the party, on Sunday said she will join the BJP, two days after being denied a ticket for the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal.
Ms Guha told reporters she was requested by BJP national vice president Mukul Roy to join the saffron party at its Hastings office in Kolkata on Monday.
"I have been asked by Mukulda to come to the Hastings office tomorrow at 1 pm and will join the BJP there," she said.
The former deputy speaker of the West Bengal assembly said that she had never thought such a day would come in her life but was compelled to take the decision.
Mar 08, 2021 03:28 (IST)
Will Fight Against Farm Laws Even If It Takes "100 Months": Priyanka Gandhi
A day after the farmers' protest against the new farm laws entered its 100th day, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today told the farmers not to lose hope and assured that her party will continue to support their fight even if "it takes 100 weeks or 100 months."
"Do not lose hope, it has been 100 days. Even if it takes 100 weeks or 100 months, we will continue this fight with you till this government takes back its black laws."
Addressing a Kisan mahapanchayat in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, today, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "This is Meerut, the place from where the first revolt of the freedom struggle started. From here our fight for freedom started. Who was involved in that freedom struggle? Who got our nation freed? The farmers of this country did."
