For the first time in the country, the Covid-19 fatality rate has fallen below 2 per cent and is currently 1.99 per cent, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

It was 2.70 per cent last month and 2.83 per cent on June 11. Over 45,000 COVID-19 linked deaths have been registered so far while 871 people died in the last 24 hours.

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Since this morning, a fresh surge of 53,601 new coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours has taken India’s Covid tally to 22,68,675 cases.

This is the seventh consecutive day that India, which has the third-highest caseload in the world, has reported more cases in a day.

On reports of lung ailments in some recovered patient, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Health Ministry said, “A group of experts in Health Ministry is presently seized with this issue & working on a guidance note for recovered people & possible complications that may afflict them.”

On the report of Russia’s vaccine claim, Health Ministry officials said, “Government has constituted National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration which will meet tomorrow. Their terms of reference constitute all matters related to logistics of vaccines, ways to address issues of equity etc.”

“This expert group will continue its engagement with all state governments and vaccine manufacturers in India,” it added.

Russia has developed the first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against Coronavirus, President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday.

“This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered” in Russia, Putin said in a televised video conference call with government ministers.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a video conference with Chief Ministers of 10 states to review the Coronavirus situation.

This is the eight round of consultation with the chief ministers, the last being on June 17.

“PM referred to the fact that there are states – Bihar, Gujarat, UP, West Bengal and Telangana where there’s need to increase testing rate as positivity rate at present in these states is on higher side,” said Rajesh Bhushan, Health Ministry.