Record 7 lakh COVID-19 tests conducted in a day; recovery rate rises to 68.78 pc: Health Ministry

New Delhi, August 9

Scaling up the testing capacity, over seven lakh samples had been examined for COVID-19 in a day, taking the cumulative tests conducted so far to 2,41,06,535, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

“The number of recoveries, too, has surged to 14,80,884 with 53,879 coronavirus patients having recuperated and discharged in the past 24 hours, the highest in a day so far, pushing the recovery rate to 68.78 per cent. The fatality rate has further dropped to 2.01 per cent,” it said.

The Ministry said the number of single-day tests had been growing exponentially and India had been testing over six lakh samples daily for several days.

“A record 7,19,364 samples have been tested on Saturday, the highest in a day so far. India is conducting around 500 tests for detection of COVID-19 per minute and the per-day testing capacity has increased over five lakhs,” Scientist and media coordinator at the ICMR, Dr Lokesh Sharma said.

Also read: India Covid-19 tally zooms past 21 lakh with record single-day spike of 64,399 cases

Such elevated level of testing would also lead to a high number of daily positive cases, the Health Ministry said, adding that the states had been advised to firmly focus on comprehensive tracking, prompt isolation and effective treatment, following the Centre-led strategy of ‘test, track and treat’.

“The number of recoveries has surged to 14,80,884 with 53,879 coronavirus patients having recuperated and discharged in 24-hours, the highest in a day so far, pushing the recovery rate to 68.78 per cent. The fatality rate has further dropped to 2.01 per cent,” the Ministry said.

Recoveries are over twice the number of active cases (6,28,747) of coronavirus infection at present.

“The number of recovered cases has touched another high of 2.36 times the active cases. All patients are all under medical attention either under home isolation or in hospitals,” the Ministry said.

From 7.69 per cent on April 5, the recovery rate improved to 26.59 per cent on May 3, 48.37 per cent on June 7 and to 68.78 per cent as on date, it said.

“The widening gap between recovered and active cases, indicative of the higher number of recoveries as compared to those either in hospitals or under home isolation, is 8,52,137 at present,” the Ministry said.

It said the high number of recoveries is a result of the focused implementation of various actions taken by the Centre, state and Union Territories towards ramping up the hospital and clinical management infrastructure for providing quality clinical care based on the standard of care, as advised by the Union government in its Clinical Treatment Protocol.

“Due to these efforts, the case fatality rate has further slumped, touching an improved rate of 2.01 per cent today,” the Ministry said.

With a record single-day increase of 64,399 cases, India’s COVID-19 tally mounted to 21.53 lakh, while the death toll climbed to 43,379 with 861 new fatalities being reported in a day, the Health Ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed. PTI