Daily Covid cases in India nearly double in 24 hours
New Delhi, April 18
India’s tally of daily COVID-19 cases nearly doubled in the past 24 hours to more than 2,000, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The country logged 2,183 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,30,44,280, while the active cases declined to 11,542, the data updated at 8am stated. On Sunday, 1,150 people tested positive for the viral infection across the country.
The death toll climbed to 5,21,965 with 214 fresh fatalities, including 213 from Kerala, the data showed.
Of 213 deaths recorded by Kerala, one death was reported on April 17 while 62 were designated as COVID-19 fatalities after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, and remaining 150 deaths were reported from April 13 to 16, according to the ministry.
The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate remained at 98.76 per cent, the ministry said.
A decrease of 16 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The daily test positivity rate was recorded as 0.83 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.32 per cent, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the viral disease surged to 4,25,10,773, while the case fatality rate was recorded as 1.21 per cent.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 186.54 crore.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. Besides 213 deaths in Kerala, one fresh fatality was reported in Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 5,21,965 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,47,827 from Maharashtra, 68,615 from Kerala, 40,057 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,158 from Delhi, 23,500 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,200 from West Bengal.
The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
