India has recorded 16,946 fresh coronavirus cases and 198 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Thursday. With the new additions, the overall covid-19 toll and fatality toll due to covid-19 have reached 1,05,12,093 and 1,51,727 respectively.
Currently, there are 2,13,603 active cases in the country. After 17,652 discharges in a span of 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 1,01,46,763, as per the Health Ministry.
The recovery rate stands at 96.51 per cent, while the fatality rate is 1.44 as per cent.
The total number of samples tested up to January 13 were 18,42,32,305, including 7,43,191 tested on Wednesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research said.
Here’s some more updates:
*Pan-India vaccination drive is scheduled to begin from January 16 with two approved vaccines. Earlier, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said: “After one dose, or even after two doses, Covid-appropriate behaviour has to be followed. I am requesting you with folded hands. Please don’t think I have got one dose or two doses… now nothing can happen to me.”
*Around 3 crore healthcare workers will be inoculated at 2,934 sites across the country on the first day of the massive nationwide Covid vaccination drive.
*About 70 per cent of the daily new cases are reported from seven states — Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
*A study conducted by a local Brazilian health department revealed that the presence of IgG antibodies, specific for SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes Covid-19, was detected in serum samples back in December 2019.
* Brazil’s vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus will begin at the end of January in pandemic hotspot Manaus, capital of northern Amazonas state, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said.
Meanwhile, the overall global coronavirus caseload has topped 92 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 1.97 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
