India reported 30,773 new Covid-19 cases and 309 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s latest bulletin released on Sunday. With the new fatalities, the country’s cumulative death toll increased to 4,44,838. The fatality rate has remained at 1.33 percent for the last few days.
With a reduction of 8,481 active cases in a span of 24 hours, the overall number stood at 3,32,158, which is 0.99 percent of the total Covid infections reported in the country since early 2020. In the same time span, a total of 38,945 Covid-infected patients recovered, pushing the country’s total recoveries to 3,26,71,167.
The Covid recovery rate in the last 24 hours remained at 97.68 percent.
A total of 55,23,40,168 Covid sample tests were conducted in the country, out of which 15,59,895 were tested in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry.
To date, the country has administered 80,43,72,331 doses of Covid vaccines, out of which 85,42,732 jabs were given in the last 24 hours, the data showed.
Meanwhile, Kerala accounts for more than half of the daily new cases across the country. The state reported fresh 19,325 infections but it also saw a dip in its daily Covid tally in comparison to Friday’s count. Kerala had reported 23,260 cases on September 17, according to Health Ministry’s report.
Maharashtra also reported a decline in its daily Covid-19 infection. As per the state’s daily health bulletin, 3,391 cases and 80 deaths were reported in 24 hours. Currently, the state has 47,919 active cases.
Amid a decline in Covid cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors for foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said.
The first five lakh foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost, in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors, badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since the first nationwide lockdown in March 2020.
A formal announcement allowing foreign tourists to visit India may come within the next 10 days, an official from the Home Ministry said.