National recovery rate rises to 81.77%, but no let up in fatalities

India’s recovery rate stood at 81.77 per cent with 3,00,732 recoveries being reported in a single day, said the Health Ministry on Monday. Now, the total recoveries stand at 1,62,93,003.

Ten States – Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bihar – account for 73.49 per cent of the new recoveries. Meanwhile, the number of Covid tests conducted across the country crossed 29.16 crore on Monday with 29,16,47,037 conducted as on date; 15,04,698 tests were done in the previous day, as per government data.

India registered 3,68,147 new coronavirus cases on Monday with 3,417 deaths in a single day till 8:00 am, with Maharashtra reporting the highest daily cases at 56,647, followed by Karnataka at 37,733 and Kerala at 31,959 new cases, according to government data. Besides this, the national mortality rate has been falling and currently stands at 1.10 per cent. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 669, followed by Delhi at 407 and Uttar Pradesh at 288 daily deaths. Cumulatively, infections stood at 1,99,25,604 on Monday, of which, active cases were 34,13,642, recovered cases stood at 1,62,93,003, and the death toll stood at 2,18,959.

Vaccination

Meanwhile, India administered 15,71,98,207 vaccine doses so far with 12,10,347 jabs given till 8:00 am on Monday. The government has so far provided nearly 16.54 crore vaccine doses to States/UTs for free, of which, the total consumption, including wastages, is 15.79 crore doses, as per the government data available at 8 am on Monday.

What will be the Covid vaccination bill for Centre & States?

“More than 75 lakh Covid vaccine doses (75,71,873) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. Furthermore, more than 59 lakh (59,70,670) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the States/UTs within the next 3 days,” said the health Ministry.

The government began phase 3 vaccination drive for those 18-44 age group on May 1. Meanwhile, phase 3 vaccination drive began in few centres in the national capital for those between 18-44 age. To accommodate the large number of beneficiaries, the Delhi government has set up inoculation centres at 77 schools for this purpose. Around 90 lakh beneficiaries are eligible for availing the jab in the 18-44 years category. Each school will have 5 booths, according to official sources.

Industry bodies

Furthermore, Uday Kotak, President, CII, urged for the strongest national steps, including curtailing economic activity to reduce suffering. He also emphasised on seeking help from experts in India and abroad to manage escalating caseloads and break the break chain of transmission.

“Healthcare and frontline workers are giving their best efforts to tackle the influx of patients, but it may not be possible to manage escalating caseloads with the present medical talent availability. We must heed expert advice on this subject – from India and abroad. Highest response measures are needed to break the chain of contagion and also use the time to rapidly build up capacity,” Kotak said.

CII also urged for the deployment of armed forces and central security forces for logistics, infrastructure and personnel. “Deploy Armed Forces and central security forces for logistics, infrastructure and personnel. Initiate temporary medical facilities with Armed Forces and other paramilitary forces, using existing infrastructure facilities like school and college premises, sheds, parks with tents, as Covid care facilities,” said CII, adding that medical equipment for these facilities can be sourced from across the country through Indian Air Force flights or Army trucks, and there is a need to strengthen security at hospitals for medical personnel and protect people and property.

Pfizer is in talks with the Indian government for ‘expedited approval pathway’ to make its Covid 19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech, for use in the country. The american multinational company also announced a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million to India. “This includes steroid medications to reduce inflammation, anticoagulants to help prevent blood clotting and antibiotics that treat secondary bacterial infections. This effort has the potential to impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients across India over the next 90 days,” said the company in a statement.

COMMENT NOW