India witnesses decline in COVID cases; 8,813 new infections

India

oi-Prakash KL

New
Delhi,
Aug
16:
India
reported
a
decline
in
COVID-19
cases
with
8,813
new
infections
reported
in
the
last
24
hours
as
compared
to
14,917
cases
a
day
before,
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Family
Welfare
data
said
on
Tuesday.

The
country
recorded
15,040
recoveries
in
the
last
24
hours
which
takes
the
total
recoveries
from
the
infection
to
4,36,38,844.
The
current
recovery
rate
is
98.56
per
cent.

According
to
the
Health
Ministry,
the
country’s
daily
positivity
rate
stands
at
4.15
per
cent,
while
its
weekly
positivity
rate
is
4.79
per
cent.

The
Ministry
further
informed
that
the
country’s
active
caseload
stands
at
1,11,252
with
the
active
cases
at
0.25
per
cent.
The
Health
Ministry
also
said
that
88.06
crore
Covid
tests
have
been
conducted
in
the
country
so
far,
of
which
2,12,129
were
conducted
in
the
last
24
hours.

Oral
drug
used
to
reduce
blood
fats
may
reduce
SARS-CoV-2
infection
by
70
per
cent:
Study

India’s
COVID-19
vaccination
coverage
has
exceeded
208.31
crore
(2,08,31,24,694)
as
per
provisional
reports
till
7
am
today.
This
has
been
achieved
through
2,76,96,728
sessions.

The
countrywide
vaccination
drive
was
rolled
out
on
January
16
last
year
with
healthcare
workers
getting
inoculated
in
the
first
phase.
Vaccination
of
frontline
workers
started
from
February
2
last
year.

The
next
phase
of
COVID-19
vaccination
commenced
on
March
1
last
year
for
people
over
60
years
of
age
and
those
aged
45
and
above
with
specified
comorbid
conditions.
India
launched
vaccination
for
all
people
aged
more
than
45
years
from
April
1
last
year.

The
government
then
decided
to
expand
its
vaccination
drive
by
allowing
everyone
above
18
years
of
age
to
be
inoculated
against
the
viral
disease
from
May
1
last
year.
The
next
phase
of
vaccination
commenced
from
January
3
for
adolescents
in
the
age
group
of
15-18
years.

Bharat
Biotech’s
Covid-19
intranasal
vaccine
Phase
III
trials
over,
proven
safe

India
began
administering
precaution
doses
of
vaccines
to
healthcare
and
frontline
workers
and
those
aged
60
and
above
with
comorbidities
from
January
10.

The
country
began
inoculating
children
aged
12-14
from
March
16
and
also
removed
the
comorbidity
clause,
making
all
people
aged
above
60
eligible
for
the
precaution
dose
of
Covid
vaccine.