India, on Tuesday, reported zero Covid deaths in the last 24 hours – probably a first for the country in nearly two years – data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed. The 31 deaths reported on Tuesday were backlog cases from Kerala.

On Monday, India had reported 46 deaths, of which, there were three on a 24 hours basis – one each from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab – and 43 were backlog cases from Kerala.

According to Vikas Maurya, Director and HOD, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh, studies have suggested that there may not be a sharp peak and India enter an endemic phase with fluctuations in cases. This, incidentally, could be the case now, too.

“In continuation of that we are seeing zero deaths in the last 24 hours, but this may fluctuate with spurts of cases. This will continue till be have new deadly variant if it arises or [remain] the same if no virus comes,” he told BusinessLine.

The country also reported 1,675 fresh Covid cases on a 24 hour basis. This is the first time in six days the country reported less than 2,000 cases. India had, on May 17, reported as many as 1,579 infections.

Active cases increased by nine. The active cases comprise 0.03 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate was recorded at 98.75 per cent, according to the Ministry.

Meanwhile, India’s Covid vaccination coverage exceeded 192.52 crore, according to Ministry data.

Vaccination coverage

Vaccination for the age group of 12-14 years started on March 16, and over 3.30 crore adolescents have been administered with the first dose and 1,45,07,116 with the second dose. In the age group of 15-18 years, 5,92,29,834 doses have been administered as first dose and 4,49,81,100 doses as the second.

Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, put out a post, where he said over 80 per cent of youngsters in the age group of 15-18 have been administered the first dose. Similarly, 70 per cent eligible population in the 12-14 group have been administered the first dose, he tweeted.

A total of 55,69,01,963 vaccine doses were administered as the first dose, 48,77,63,523 vaccine doses were given as the second dose and 6,29,188 precaution doses as in the age group 18-44 years.

In the 45-59 years, 20,32,04,546 have received the first dose, 19,03,33,465 have received the second dose and 12,13,929 have been administered the precaution doses; whereas, 12,70,59,147 vaccine doses were administered as the first dose, 11,86,75,559 as second and 1,77,09,427 as precaution doses to the people over 60 years.

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