India logs lowest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in nearly three months

dpa New Delhi India recorded 58,419 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours on Sunday, the lowest daily figure in nearly three months, as the second ...

dpa New DelhiIndia recorded 58,419 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours on Sunday, the lowest daily figure in nearly three months, as the second wave of the pandemic continues to wane in the country.The overall caseload climbed to 29.88 million, a federal Health Ministry bulletin said, the world’s second-highest number of coronavirus infections after the United States.Daily infections were at the lowest since March 24, when India logged 53,476 cases, according to data on the website of Johns Hopkins University.The daily numbers represent a sharp slowdown from the peak of the second wave in early May when India was registering over 400,000 cases every day.A total of 1,576 deaths were reported on Sunday, bringing the overall death toll to 386,713, the ministry said.Experts say both coronavirus infections and related deaths in India are likely much higher due to undercounting by government agencies.Many Indian states have begun easing regional lockdowns amid the receding second wave.Courts and federal government have however urged regional governments to ensure physical distancing and coronavirus-appropriate behaviour as huge crowds thronged markets and malls.Randeep Guleria, a top government doctor and advisor, has also warned that a third Covid-19 wave may hit India in six to eight weeks if people lowered their guard.India’s main challenge remains vaccinating its huge population, he said. So far, only 3.8 percent of the more than 1.3 billion inhabitants in India have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.Meanwhile, Indian capital New Delhi continues to witness a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases, with 124 new cases and 0.17 positivity rate reported in the last 24 hours, said the Delhi government’s health bulletin.This is the least number of Covid-19 cases reported in a day after February 16, when the national capital registered 94 cases. The positivity rate was 0.17 percent, even on February 16. Over a span of 24 hours, seven deaths and 398 recoveries were reported.As per the state health bulletin, the number of active cases in the national capital stands at 2,091, lowest since March 11, 2020.The recovery rate has touched 98.11 percent, highest since February 21 this year when the metropolis recorded 98.12 percent recovery rate.Delhi’s death toll currently stands at 24,914 with a case fatality rate of 1.74 percent. So far, more than 1.4 million patients have been discharged.In order to curb the disease, 86,131 people were vaccinated against the virus in the last 24 hours. From these, 60,443 were first dose beneficiaries and 25,688 for second. A total of 65,10,297 people have been vaccinated in the national capital so far.