The total number of Covid-19 cases in India has touched 11,55,191, while the total recorded deaths has touched 28,084, according to official data released on Tuesday. With 37,148 new infections detected during the last 24 hours, the number of active infections went up to 4,02,529 while 7,24,578 people recovered.

While the recovery rate has stagnated at 63 per cent for a week now, new cases are on the rise every day. With a total of 3,18,695 cases, Maharashtra continues to have the maximum number of Covid-19 cases in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,75,687 and Delhi with 1,23,747. The reported case fatality ratio is 2.6 per cent.

On Monday, the total number of Covid-19 tests carried out in India was 3.33 lakh, taking the cumulative tests to 1.43 crore.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, NITI Aayog Member VK Paul said the government plans to increase the number of tests to 5-5.5 lakh per day in the days to come and the medium-term target is to take it to 10 lakh tests a day.

Paul also said the government is willing to extend all help to vaccine manufacturers irrespective of whether they are Indian firms and otherwise, as expediting the testing and manufacturing of vaccines would help Indians as well as people elsewhere. Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, also present at the briefing, said the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has already come up with a directive that would accelerate the developme and testing of Covid-19 related diagnostic tools, drugs and vaccines.

Published on July 21, 2020