India
Coronavirus: India reports 30K+ new cases, 12.4% higher than yesterday
India on Thursday reported over 30,000 new COVID-19 cases, up by 12.4% compared to the day before. The number of active cases has dipped to 1.03% of the total cases, while the recovery rate rose slightly to 97.64%. The daily positivity rate, which has been under 3% for the last 17 days, was recorded at 1.94%. Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate stood at 1.93%.
India's tally crosses 3.33 crore; 4.44 lakh dead
According to the Union Health Ministry, till Thursday morning, India reported a total of 3,33,47,325 COVID-19 cases. The death toll has reached 4,43,928. So far, 3,25,60,474 patients have recovered, while 3,42,923 cases involve active infections. In the past 24 hours alone, India recorded 30,570 new infections, 38,303 more discharges, and 431 fresh fatalities. 76,57,17,137 vaccine doses have been administered so far.
India's second wave peaked on May 7
India's second wave peaked on May 7, when 4.14 lakh single-day cases were reported, over four times the number of cases reported during the first wave in mid-September 2020. Although infections have declined since the second wave peaked, India crossed the 3 crore-mark on June 23. India had crossed the 1 crore-mark on December 19, 2020, and the 2 crore-mark on May 4, 2021.
Nearly 60% new cases concentrated in Kerala
Maharashtra reported 3,783 new COVID-19 cases along with 4,364 more recoveries. Kerala, the second worst-hit state after Maharashtra, reported 17,681 new cases and 25,588 discharges. Meanwhile, the third worst-hit Karnataka added 1,116 new cases and 970 recoveries. Tamil Nadu, the fourth worst-hit state, reported 1,658 new cases and 1,542 recoveries. Andhra Pradesh reported 1,445 new cases and 1,243 recoveries.
When will the pandemic end?
National Centre for Disease Control Director Dr. Sujeet Singh has said that COVID-19 may start becoming endemic in the next six months. A disease is said to be endemic when it is regularly found in a population in a geographical area at a certain baseline level. Earlier, WHO's Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan and retired ICMR scientist Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar had made similar statements.
Sputnik Light cleared for Phase III trials
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission for Phase III bridging trials of Sputnik Light, the single-dose alternative to the two-dose Sputnik V. It is 78.6-83.7% effective against COVID-19, according to a study in The Lancet. The Subject Expert Committee had earlier refused to grant approval to the shot, arguing that it was essentially the first dose of Sputnik V.
