India records 8,439 new COVID-19 cases, 195 deaths; daily positivity rate at 0.70%

New Delhi: With 8,439 more people testing positive for COVID-19 in a day, India’s infection tally rose to 3,46,56,822 on Wednesday, while the count of active cases declined to 93,733, the lowest in 555 days, according to the Union health ministry data.

The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,73,952, with 195 daily fatalities being recorded, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 10,000 for 12 straight days and less than 50,000 for 164 consecutive days now.

The active cases count has declined to 93,733, comprising 0.27 percent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.36 percent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said. A decrease of 1,281 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.70 percent. It has been less than two percent for the last 65 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.76 percent. This has been below one percent for the last 24 days, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,40,89,137, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 percent, the data showed.

The cumulative number of doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 129.54 crore.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August , 2020, 30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5 September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October 11, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on 4 May and three crore on 23 June.

The 195 new fatalities include 134 from Kerala and 19 from Maharashtra. Of the 134 deaths recorded in Kerala, 28 were logged over the last few days and 106 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, a state government statement said on Tuesday.

A total of 4,73,952 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,41,194 from Maharashtra, 41,902 from Kerala, 38,243 from Karnataka, 36,549 from Tamil Nadu, 25,099 from Delhi, 22,911 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,562 from West Bengal.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities. “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.

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