Coronavirus India Updates: Tally Tops 32 Lakh As Health Ministry Touts Lower Positivity Rate

Covid-19 cases in India continued to mount well into the fifth month of the country fighting the virus.

India added nearly 67,000 new cases in a matter of 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 32.3 lakh in the Asia's third-largest economy, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8:00 am on Aug. 26. This includes nearly 59,500 deaths and over 24.6 lakh patients who have recovered.

Key Numbers

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 32,34,474
• Active cases: 7,07,267
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 24,67,758
• Deaths: 59,449
• Fresh cases in 24 hours: 67,151
• One-day recoveries: 63,173
• One-day deaths: 1059

Deaths spiked again with more than 1,000 people dead within a mere 24 hours.

India's Covid-19 recoveries are headed towards the 25-lakh mark and are more than three times the number of active cases of the infection in the country, while the case fatality rate, maintaining a steady downward trajectory, has further dropped.

Indian authorities have tested over 3.6 crore samples with testing ramping up on a regular basis. Positivity rate, on the other hand, has dropped to 8% now from 11% in the first week of August, the Health Ministry said in a briefing on Tuesday.

The central government has been attributing its claimed success to effective implementation of the policy of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively through surveillance and contact-tracing and treating efficiently.

Global Update

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected calls for a new national lockdown as the country re-emerges as the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. German infections increased at a pace close to a four-month high, while new cases in France slowed. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who helped lead the 2004 Orange Revolution, has been moved to intensive care after contracting the virus. In Asia, Hong Kong will ease some social-distancing rules after new cases fell, while infections in Seoul may have peaked over the past weekend, health officials said.

Globally, cases crossed 23.6 million leaving over 8,14,000 dead, as of Wednesday morning.

Track all Covid-19 related news and updates in India, here.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has isolated himself for three days as a precautionary measure despite his novel coronavirus test report coming negative.

Sharing this information on the social media on Tuesday, Rawat said he and his family underwent a Covid-19 test along with the staff and the security personnel at the CMO as a precautionary measure.

"With the grace of God and your blessings the report is negative. However, as a precaution, I will remain in isolation for the next three days and discharge my duties from my residence telephonically or by using virtual platforms," he tweeted.

The chief minister chose to undergo a coronavirus test after an officer on special duty tested positive for the infection recently.

Source: PTI

Russia has expressed willingness to collaborate with India for manufacturing of the Sputnik V Covid-19 Vaccines, Health Ministry’s Union Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said yesterday in a press briefing.

“As far as the Sputnik V vaccine is concerned, both Russia and India are in communication,” he said.