Coronavirus: India logs 20,038 new COVID cases in last 24 hours

India reported over 20,000 new COVID cases for the second day in a row on Friday as it logged 20,038 infections in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The country had breached the 20,000 mark after 145 days logging 20,139 cases yesterday.

The active cases in the country have gone up to 1,39,073 .

As many as 16,994 COVID patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries since the beginning of the pandemic in the country to 4,30,45,350.

The recovery rate currently stands at 98.48 per cent.

According to the Ministry, 47 patients succumbed to the virus during this period. The death toll in the country rose to 5,25,604.

The country tested 4,50,820 samples in the last 24 hours and the daily positivity rate came out to be 4.44 per cent (5.10 per cent yesterday) while the weekly positivity rate was 4.30 per cent (4.37 per cent yesterday).

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 18,92,969 COVID vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. The total number of vaccines jabbed till date reached 1,99,47,34,994.

In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.

Meanwhile, with an aim to increase the uptake of the precautionary dose of COVID vaccine among the eligible adult population, 75 days - 'COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava' will commence on Friday, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This special vaccination drive is a part of the celebration for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and aims to provide free precaution dose for all adults (18 years and above) eligible population at Government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs).

"It will start from today and continue for the next 75 days. We will try to vaccinate all the citizens between 18-59 years of age," Dr Bijay Panigrahi, Director, Family Welfare and Nodal Officer Vaccination told ANI.

In a virtual meeting with State/UT Health Secretaries and NHM MDs chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Thursday, States and UTs have been urged to give an intensive and ambitious push toward full COVID-19 vaccination coverage by vaccinating all eligible beneficiaries and covering them with precaution dose.

(ANI)

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