India reported 44,658 new Covid-19 cases and 496 deaths in the last 24 hours, ending at 8 am today, according to the health ministry data.
With this the country’s caseload has increased to 3,26,03,188 while the death toll has risen to 4,36,861.
India yesterday completed administering at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to half its eligible adult population, as it crossed 61.10 crore cumulative vaccinations across the country. Nearly 68 lakh (67,87,305) vaccine doses were administered yesterday – the 223rd day of the vaccination drive that began on January 16.
“India achieves unprecedented milestone! 50 per cent of the eligible population inoculated with the first dose of #COVID19 vaccine. Keep it up India. Let us fight Corona,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on twitter.
Kerala contributed 30,077 cases in the past 24 hours to take the total number of those affected in the state by the viral infection to 39,13,506.
The southern state has been reporting the most number of coronavirus cases in the country and accounts for the second-highest national tally.
Even though Kerala has a high positivity ratio (19.3%), around 90 per cent of the state’s positive cases have been mild and asymptomatic, according to Kerala Covid experts. Thus, most cases are under home quarantine — the reason the state’s health infrastructure is not overwhelmed despite the high number of cases.
Coronavirus cases worldwide have surpassed the 200 million-mark. Cases are rising in about one-third of the world’s countries, many of which have not even given half their population a first dose.
