India’s daily COVID-19 cases drop below 2,000 mark, positivity rate at 0.41 pc

A total of 3,196 people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, increasing the cumulative tally to 4,24,65,122. Consequently, the recovery rate improved to 98.74 per cent.

New Delhi [India], March 20: While several countries worldwide are witnessing a fresh COVID-19 wave, India continues to witness a declining trend, with daily infections dropping below the 2,000 mark on Sunday.

In the last 24 hours, 4,31,973 tests were conducted, and 1,761 new cases were found positive across the country. On Saturday, India had logged 2,075 fresh infections.

The active caseload further declined to 26,240. As per government data, they account for 0.06 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

A total of 3,196 people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, increasing the cumulative tally to 4,24,65,122. Consequently, the recovery rate improved to 98.74 per cent.

Both the daily and weekly positivity rates stood at 0.41 per cent. With 127 deaths recorded in the last 23 hours, the country's death toll rose to 5,16,479. The case fatality rate is at 1.20 per cent.

Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 181.21 crores. A total of 1,81,21,11,675 vaccine doses have been administered so far, as per provisional reports, till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,13,75,059 sessions, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.

Over 17 lakh vaccine doses have been administered to the age group 12-14 years, whose vaccinated commenced on March 16 this year. As many as 17,36,464 children in the said age group have taken their first dose of the Corbevax vaccine.

'Precaution dose', whose identified beneficiaries include frontline workers, healthcare workers and those above the age of 60 years, have been given to 2,17,33,502 people so far. Of these, 43,58,282 were given to healthcare workers, 66,63,768 to frontline workers and 1,07,11,452 to people above the age of 60 years.

In the age group of 15-18 years, 5,62,03,581 children have taken the first dose, and 3,54,81,792 have taken a second dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, the only vaccine being given to the category.

Meanwhile, the ministry, in a statement, said that more than 183.52 crores (1,83,52,25,060) vaccine doses have been provided to states and UTs so far through the government's free of cost channel and through the direct state procurement category.

Over 17.04 crore (17,04,30,756) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered, it further stated. (ANI)