Confirmed coronavirus cases in India continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured citizens that the vaccine will be available in just a few days.
Authorities reported 20,035 fresh cases in 24 hours taking the total tally to 1,02,86,709 in the world’s second-worst infected country, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on Jan. 1. This includes over 1.48 lakh deaths and 98.8 lakh patients who have recovered.
New cases remained under the 25,000-mark for over a week now, significantly lower than the peaks seen in mid-September. One-day fatalities too remained below 300 for the seventh consecutive day.
The slower pace of India’s daily infections and an improved recovery rate have kept active cases in India below the 3-lakh-mark for over a week now. That’s just 2.5% of the total caseload. India’s active cases had crossed 10 lakh in mid-September. Recoveries, on the other hand, now account for over 96% of total confirmed cases.
Key figures:
- Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 1,02,86,709
- Active cases: 2,54,254
- Cured/discharged/migrated: 98,83,461
- Deaths: 1,48,994
- Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 20,035
- One-day recoveries: 23,181
- One-day deaths: 256
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rajkot, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that preparations are in the final stages for the Covid-19 vaccination programme in India, and that people will get a vaccine manufactured in India in the next few days.
All states and union territories will conduct dry runs for vaccine administration on Jan. 2, the government said in a press release.
Global Update
The U.S. ended the year with records and milestones: New York state and Florida, each hit hard as the coronavirus ravaged across the nation, broke their previous daily records for cases. Texas reported a new high for hospitalisations.
New York City plans to speed up the slow start to vaccinations and inoculate 1 million residents in January, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Governments across the globe urged people to celebrate the New Year at home. The new, highly transmissible virus strain was found in California, China, Brazil and Singapore.
Globally, over 83.1 million coronavirus cases have been detected with over 1.8 million dead.
