Coronavirus / India's COVID-19 recovery rate currently at 97.65%; 35,662 new cases recorded

New Delhi: India on Saturday recorded a fourth straight day rise in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases with 35,662 new samples testing positive for the virus. According to the latest updates in the website of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, active cases stood at 3,40,639 comprising 1.02 per cent of the total number of infections (3,34,17,390). Also, the number of recoveries was lesser than the number of new cases.

Saturday’s figures were 3.5 per cent higher than the numbers registered on Friday at 34,403. The country registered over 30,000 cases for the third day in a row. As many as 30,570 infections were recorded on Thursday, while 27,176 people tested positive on Wednesday.

As many as 33,798 people recovered in the last 24 hours, while 281 patients lost their lives to the virus. This took the total recoveries to 3,26,32,222 and related fatalities to 4,44,529 with their corresponding rates touching 97.65 per cent and 1.33 per cent, respectively.

Of all the tallies, Kerala continued to bear the biggest brunt having registered 23,260 new cases and 131 deaths.

Meanwhile, India administered the highest-ever single day vaccinations against the viral disease with 2.5 crore doses given in the last 24 hours. This took the total vaccinations to 79,42,87,699 ever since the inoculation drive was launched in January this year.

The record-breaking feat was achieved on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday as the government sought to boost the vaccination drive to fight the virus in the wake of an impending third wave of the pandemic.

The government said more than 78.02 crore (78,02,17,775) vaccine doses had so far been provided to states and Union territories through the free of cost channel and through direct state procurement category. Further, more than 33 lakh doses (33,08,560) were in the pipeline.

Also, more than 6.02 crore (6,02,70,245) balance and unutilised vaccines were available with the states and UTs at the moment, the government said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research said 14,48,833 samples were tested for the virus in the last 24 hours taking the total number of such tests conducted to 55,07,80,273.