COVID-19: India sees 16,862 fresh cases; lowest active cases recorded in 216 days

India registered 16,862 fresh coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,37,592, while active cases fell to 2,03,678, the lowest level in 216 days, as per the data published on October 15 by the Union Health Ministry. According to figures updated at 8 am, the total number of deaths has risen to 4,51,814 with 379 new fatalities. For the past 21 days, the daily increase in new coronavirus infections has been fewer than 30,000, and for the past 110 days, less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported. Meanwhile, India on October 14 reported 18,987 new COVID-19 cases, 19,808 recoveries and 246 deaths. 

In an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, over 11 lakh samples were tested in the last 24 hours with which the total tests conducted so far crossed 58.88 crores, informed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on October 15. According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 58,88,44,673 samples were examined up until October 14, with 11,80,148 being tested on that day.

Number of active COVID cases lowest since March 2020

The active cases account for 0.60% of total COVID cases, the lowest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate is 98.07%, the highest since March 2020. On August 7, 2020, India's COVID-19 tally surpassed 20 lakh, followed by 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, and 50 lakh on September 16. It exceeded the 60 lakh level on September 28, the 70 lakh mark on October 11, the 80 lakh mark on October 29, the 90 lakh mark on November 20, and the one-crore mark on December 19. On May 4, India passed the two-crore mark, and on June 23, it passed the three-crore mark.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met with authorities from 19 states and union territories on October 9, two days after Navratri began, to review measures being done to prevent the spread of infection during the festival season. He stressed that if the festival was not held in accordance with Covid standards, it could jeopardise the containment of Covid-19.

Image: Pixabay