Coronavirus India Cases: Active Infections Drop For Second Day Even As Deaths Top 4,000 Again
Track the latest updates on the second wave of Covid-19 in India here.
Active cases of Covid-19 in India dropped for the second day in a row, in a small relief to a healthcare system battling the world’s fastest spreading outbreak amid a vaccine shortage.
3.48 lakh people tested positive for the virus in 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s 8 a.m. update on May 12. That’s less than the 3.55 lakh patients who recovered during the same period, taking active cases marginally lower to 37 lakh.
Daily fatalities, however, crossed 4,000 once again, taking the nation's total death toll near 2.54 lakh. 4,205 patients succumbed to the illness in a matter of 24-hours, marking the deadliest day in India’s pandemic struggle.
Key data points:
- Total confirmed cases: 2,33,40,938
- Total number of active cases: 37,04,099
- Total patients cured/discharged: 1,93,82,642
- Total deaths: 2,54,197
- Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 3,48,421
- One-day recoveries: 3,55,338
- One-day deaths: 4,205
- Total vaccination shots administered: 17,52,35,991
The central government's supply of vaccines to states for inoculating those aged more than 45 years has dried up, with only six states in line to receive additional doses anytime soon.
As on May 11, the centre's supply pipeline had just over 7 lakh doses to be provided to states in the next three days, according to data from the Health Ministry . That comes as states have 90.3 lakh balance doses in their inventory, which at the average daily vaccination rate of the past month would last for about four to five days.
New Covid Cases Have Peaked: Cambridge Tracker
The number of new coronavirus infections in India has peaked, according to a new tracker developed by researchers at Cambridge Judge Business School and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
“But there is substantial variation among states and union territories in their trajectories, with cases continuing to increase over the next two weeks in areas such as Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Tripura,” the researchers wrote.
Variant From India Reaches 44 Nations
The more-infectious coronavirus raging through India was detected in 44 countries, according to the World Health Organization, which urged more studies to understand its severity and propensity to cause reinfections.
The strain, identified in October, spawned three versions -- B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3 -- causing an unprecedented spike in Covid-19 cases in the South Asian country.
Though there may be important differences among the three, the available evidence is too limited to characterize them individually, the WHO said in a report Tuesday. Any impacts on effectiveness of vaccines or therapeutics remain uncertain, it said.