As cases breach 2L milestone, govt says ‘India far away from peak’
NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday crossed the 2-lakh mark of COVID-19 cases after the country reported over 8,000 fresh cases for the third consecutive day. According to the updates provided by the states, India recorded a total of 2,01,997 cases out of which 96,788 have recovered while 99,571 are active cases and 5,638 have died due to the infection.
However, in a most recent update, the Union Health Ministry placed the total number of cases at 1,98,706 and the death toll at 5,598. As per the ministry, 95,527 people have recovered from the infection.
Notably, the IMCR has conducted 39,66,075 tests and its testing labs capacities have been increased to 681 that includes 476 government diagnostic centres and 205 private labs. In the last 24 hours, the IMCR has tested 1,28,868 samples.
As per the Union Health Ministry’s death reports, a total of 204 fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours. Out of this, 76 deaths were in Maharashtra, 50 in Delhi, 25 in Gujarat and 11 in Tamil
Nadu. Eight people each died of COVID-19 in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, followed by six in Telangana and four each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Maharashtra tops the list with 2,362 out of the total 5,598 deaths, followed by 1,063 in Gujarat, 523 in Delhi and 358 in Madhya Pradesh.
There have been 217 Coronavirus deaths so far in Uttar Pradesh while 198 succumbed to the infection in Rajasthan, 184 in Tamil Nadu, 88 in
Telangana and 64 in Andhra Pradesh.
On Tuesday morning Mizoram, which was so far the only state without an active COVID-19 case, reported a cluster of 12 infections.
Meanwhile, the Union
Health ministry is of the view that the country is far away from the peak of COVID-19 spread and its preventive measures have been “very effective”, which has put it in a much better position in comparison with other countries.
While talking to reporters, Joint Secretary (Health) Lav Agarwal said: “It is wrong to just look at the total number of cases and state that India has the seventh-highest number of cases as the population of countries also should be taken into account. About 14 countries with a cumulative population almost equal to that of India have reported 55.2 times more COVID-19 deaths.”
“Our COVID-19 fatality rate of 2.82 per cent and amongst the lowest in the world, compared to a global fatality rate of 6.13 per cent. We have been able to achieve this due to timely identification of cases and proper clinical management,” Agarwal maintained.