COVID-19:India adds 38,164 new cases, 499 fresh fatalities

PTI, Jul 19, 2021, 10:47 AM IST

India saw a single-day rise of 38,164 new coronavirus infections, while the death toll climbed to 4,14,108 with 499 fresh fatalities, the lowest in over three months, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The COVID-19 case tally has climbed to 3,11,44,229.

The active cases have declined to 4,21,665 and comprise 1.35 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 97.32 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A decrease of 995 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Also, 14,63,593 tests were conducted on Sunday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 44,54,22,256, while the daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.61 percent. It has been less than three percent for 28 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate has declined to 2.08 percent.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,03,08,456 and the case fatality rate stands at 1.33 percent, the data stated. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20, and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crores on May 4 and three crores on June 23. Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far have reached 40.64 crores under the nationwide vaccination drive. The 499 new fatalities include 180 from Maharashtra and 81 from Kerala. A total of 4,14,108 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,27,031 from Maharashtra, 36,157 from Karnataka, 33,724 from Tamil Nadu, 25,027 from Delhi, 22,719 from Uttar Pradesh, 17,999 from West Bengal, and 16,233 from Punjab.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. ”Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.