16K new Covid cases, 202 die in 24 hrs; active count is falling
Maha says it has got fewer doses of the vaccine than it requires
Fewer than 16,000 new Covid-19 cases and 202 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours across India. While there were 15,968 new cases, 17,817 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours. The recoveries outnumbering new cases have ensured a steady fall in active cases.
The total number found positive with the new UK variant genome is at 102.
India’s active caseload has fallen to 2.14 lakhs (2,14,507), with the share of active cases among total positive cases down to 2.04 per cent. This is the lowest in 197 days. The total active cases were 2,15,125 on June 30.
The health ministry data shows total recovered cases are 10,129,111, that means a recovery rate of 96.51 per cent.
The gap between recovered and active cases is growing and stands at 99,14,604. About 81.83 per cent of new recovered cases are concentrated in 10 states/UTs.
Kerala has the maximum number of single-day recoveries — 4,270, followed by Maharashtra (3,282) and Chhattisgarh (1,207).
About 74.82 per cent of new cases are in seven states/UTs. Kerala has the maximum (5,507), then Maharashtra (2,936) and Karnataka (751).
Seven states/UTs have 70.30 per cent of the 202 deaths. Maharashtra reported 50 fatalities, followed by Kerala (25) and West Bengal (18).
The Covid-19 vaccination drive is scheduled to kickstart from January 16.
Ahead of the January 16 vaccination deadline, states have started receiving the vaccines from the Central government to be administered to the frontline health workers on priority basis among others.
MAHARASHTRA
Even before the inoculation of Covid Vaccine began, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday alleged that the state has received less doses of the vaccine than its requirement. Mr Tope said that the state has received only 9.63 lakh vials of Covishield vaccine from the SII (Serum Institute of India) and only 20,000 vials from the Bharat Biotech, while the requirement of the vaccines in Maharashtra is 17.5 lakh in first phase.
With the first consignment of Covishield vaccine from Serum institute of India arriving in Kochi on Wednesday, the state is all set to launch its vaccine drive. Kerala will receive a total of 4,33,500 doses of Covishield.
ASSAM
Assam government has completed the preparation for rolling out the vaccine on January 16 as it received the first consignment of the vaccine at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. A SpiceJet freighter ferried over 730 kg of cargo in 20 boxes having doses to be distributed for Assam and Meghalaya. A senior health official said that in the first lot the state got 2,01,500 doses.
ODISHA
A day after receiving 4.08 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine Covishield from Serum Institute of India, Odisha on Wednesday got the first consignment of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin dispatched from Hyderabad. The consignment of 20,000 doses of Covaxin landed at Biju Patnaik International Airport.
MADHYA PRADESH
The first consignment of 94,000 doses of Covishield vaccine reached Bhopal airport from Mumbai on Wednesday. The vaccine vials were transported to the state vaccine Centre in Bhopal from Raja Bhoj airport in an insulated van of state health department, an official of state public relations department said.
CHHATTISGARH
As many as 3.23 doses of Covishield reached Raipur in Chhattisgarh from Pune on Wednesday afternoon to kick off the first phase of vaccination in the state. “The vaccine vials were shifted in refrigerated vans to the state vaccine Centre in Raipur”, Chhattisgarh’s Mission Director for National Health Mission Priyanka Shukla said.
WEST BENGAL
A vehicle carrying Covid19 vaccine was stuck in a traffic jam in Burdwan
East of West Bengal on Wednesday for a long time due to a massive demonstration led by Trinamul Congress minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind state chief Siddiqullah Chowdhury against the three farm laws. The incident took place a day after the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine reached the state.
Mr Chowdhury however said, “It was not intentional. The truck with the vaccine was stuck at the end of a long queue of vehicles. The police, soon after coming to know about it, helped it pass by through a different route.”