Covid-19 update: India's tally crosses 5 million mark

India in last 24 hours recorded 90,123 fresh cases, while total death reported rose to 1,290. The new fresh addition in cases has taken country's total tally past 5 million cases, becoming second country after the US to cross the mark.

The total case tally stands at 50,20,360 which includes 9,95,933 active cases and 39,42,261 recovered/discharged/migrated cases, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said.

While the recovery rate stands at a whooping high of 78.53 per cent, the fatality rate has come down to 1.63 per cent, the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

5,94,29,115 samples tested up to 15th September for Covid-19. Of these, 11,16,842 samples tested yesterday, said Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

"While the number of daily tests has increased as an integral part of CHASE THE VIRUS strategy, States have been advised that all symptomatic negatives of Rapid Antigen Tests are mandatorily subjected to RT-PCR," Health Ministry said.

On July 17, India had reached 10 lakh cases, which then doubled to 20 lakh in 20 days on August 7. The country added another 10 lakh on August 23 and went past 40 lakh on September 5. It added another 10 lakh cases in just 11 days, taking the total tally to 50 lakh cases on Wednesday.

Maharashtra remains the worst-hit with a total of 10,97,856 cases, including 30,409 deaths; followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

The WHO cheif on Tuesday said that less that 10 per cent of gloabally reported Covid-19 cases and less than 0.2 per cent of deaths have been reported among peopel under the age of 20. However, he asserted taht more research is needed to measure the risk of teh disease among children and young adult.

"We know that this virus can kill children, but that children tend to have a milder infection and there are very few severe cases and deaths from COVID-19 among children and adolescents," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press briefing on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to get united and find a vaccine that is accessible to all.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our world, we have once again seen that international solidarity is no longer a choice, but an obligation," the said.