Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Active Covid-19 cases lowest n 152 days: Health ministry

Und 30, 948 cases re reported on nday with 403 new alities, according overnment data

- S Trust of India

India on Sunday ed 30,948 new coronaviru­s tions, while the active cases ned to 3,53,398 comprising per cent of the total infecs, according to the Union th ministry data. he total tally of Covid-19 es has increased 2,424,234. The death toll has bed to 434,367 with 403 fatalities, according to the updated at 8 am. he active cases have declined 53,398, the lowest in 152 , while the national Covid-19 very rate has increased to 7 per cent, the highest since ch 2020, the health ministry A reduction of 7,942 cases been recorded in the active d-19 caseload in a span of 24 s. As many as 1,585,681 tests conducted on Saturday takthe total cumulative tests ucted so far for detection of id-19 in the country 06,256,239. he daily positivity rate was rded at 1.95 per cent. It has less than three per cent for the last 27 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at two per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 58 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperate­d from the disease surged to 3,16,36,469, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

Last week, India’s national drug regulator approved Zydus Cadila’s anti Covid-19 vaccine, ZYCOV-D. This week, discussion around the vaccine for teenagers will start in right earnest.

Earlier this month, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya had hinted that vaccines for children will begin as early as September.

If it indeed does, millions of children and their parents will be queuing up for one.

Simultaneo­usly, the Delhi government is likely to draft a plan on vaccinatio­n of children against Covid-19. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi had been demanding vaccinatio­n of children against Covid-19 at the earliest.

Maharashtr­a, meanwhile, created a record of sorts on Saturday when it inoculated 1.1 million people in a single day. But in several districts dominated by tribal communitie­s, hesitancy is preventing the government from administer­ing more (the state’s capacity is more than 1.5 million a day).

This week, therefore, the state government may start an outreach programme to make them aware that the vaccines are safe. The western Indian state has been the worst affected state in India with more than 6.4 million cumulative cases and close to 135,900 deaths.

Northwards in Delhi, the capital’s Disaster Management Authority’s (DDMA) committee will submit a report on the strategy for reopening schools, colleges and educationa­l institutio­ns to the offices of the chief minister (CM) and Lieutenant Governor (LG) on August 25. Based on the report, the government will take a call in the matter, a senior government official said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Haryana government on Sunday extended the Covid lockdown by a fortnight while allowing various relaxation­s permitted earlier to continue.

The relaxation­s include the opening of restaurant­s, bars, malls, clubhouses and shops.

“The Mahamari Alert-surakshit Haryana is extended for another fortnight, that is from August 23 (5 am onwards) to September 6 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana along with guidelines to be implemente­d during this period issued vide earlier orders,” an order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan said on Sunday.

The order was issued in the exercise of powers under various provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

 ?? SATISH BATE/HT PHOTO ?? A BMC health worker checks temperatur­e before Covid-19 test of commuters arriving from outstation trains at Dadar station in Mumbai on August 21.
SATISH BATE/HT PHOTO A BMC health worker checks temperatur­e before Covid-19 test of commuters arriving from outstation trains at Dadar station in Mumbai on August 21.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India