Covid-19 cases crossed the six-lakh mark on July 2. India recorded up to 6,04,641 cases, of which 3,59,860 cases have recovered. The recovery rate has stabilised at close to 59 per cent since the past three days even as the number of new cases tested positive every day refuses to fall.

Up to 1,91,48 new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours.

Another 17,834 have died and one has migrated. There are 2,44,780 actively infected cases at present.

By June 27, India had recorded over five lakh cases. In a mere five days, the cases have risen to cross the six-lakh mark. Six days ago, on June 21, there were over 4.1 lakh cases, while eight days ago, on June 13, cases were over three lakh. The time gap in which cases increase by over a lakh, is therefore, narrowing.

Up to 2,29,588 tests occurred as of July 1, according to ICMR data, and India has tested 90,56,173 samples till date.

In a letter to States asking them to boost testing for Covid-19, Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Balram Bhargava have stated that some States and Union Territories are insisting on prescription from a government doctor for an individual to take a Covid-19 test. They have insisted that any qualified medical practitioner, including private doctors, be allowed to prescribe a Covid-19 test.

The letter states that efforts should be made in campaign mode for setting up camps and using mobile vans in high-incidence areas to collect samples of all symptomatic individuals as well as their contacts; rates of RT-PCR tests by private labs be finalised, and all labs mandatorily upload testing data on the ICMR database and report to the State, district and city authorities for surveillance and contact tracing.

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