Coronavirus India Updates: Active Cases Fall Below 4 Lakh, Daily Fatalities Drop
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Active cases of Covid-19 in India dropped below 4 lakh, as the country prepares itself for an inoculation drive as soon as a vaccine is ready.
India reported nearly 33,000 new cases in 24 hours, taking the total tally over 96.7 lakh in the world’s second-worst infected country, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m on Dec. 7. That includes over 91 lakh recoveries and more than 1.4 lakh deaths.
Authorities reported over 39,000 recoveries in a day — the tenth straight day when new cases trailed recoveries. That brought active cases below 4 lakh for the first time since July 20.
Key Figures
- Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 96,77,203
- Active cases: 3,96,729
- Cured/discharged/migrated: 91,39,901
- Deaths: 1,40,573
- Number of fresh cases in 24 hours: 32,981
- One-day recoveries: 39,109
- One-day deaths: 391
India’s daily fatalities dropped below 400 for the first time in five months.
Five different vaccines are in advanced phases of clinical trials in India. With vaccine candidates now showing high efficacy, India's vaccination drive would begin as soon as scientists give a go-ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured on Friday.
Frontline health and essential workers, along with older population suffering from serious ailments would be prioritised for a vaccine shot, he told an all-party meeting to discuss the Covid-19 situation.
Pfizer India on Saturday became the first pharmaceutical firm to seek an emergency use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India for its Covid-19 vaccine in the country, after its parent company secured such clearance in the U.K. and Bahrain.
Global Update
It’s a landmark week for vaccines, with the U.K. set to launch Pfizer Inc.’s shot, while the U.S. could approve the vaccine for emergency use as early as Thursday. All Americans who want an inoculation should be able to get one by the second quarter of next year, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.
Record cases continued to sweep across the U.S. states, with infections topping 200,000 for four straight days. South Korea is imposing stricter social-distancing measures, including a ban on gatherings at high-risk venues such as karaoke bars, as the Asian nation that was lauded for its initial containment strategy faces one of its worst resurgences. Tokyo reported record cases on Saturday.
Globally, cases exceeded 67 million with more than 1.53 million dead from the infection.