India's daily Covid numbers jumped by 12 per cent today as the country reported 47,092 new infections, the biggest single-day rise in two months, as per the Health Ministry's database.
Kerala contributed 32,803 cases in the past 24 hours to take the total number of those affected in the state by the viral infection to 40,90,036. The test positivity rate was reported at 18.76 and with 173 deaths, the number of fatalities increased to 20,961, a state government release said.
The death toll has climbed to 4,39,529 with 509 more fatalities recorded in the country in the last 24 hours. Maximum deaths were reported in Maharashtra (183), followed by Kerala (173).
India's recovery rate now stands at 97.48 per cent, with 35,181 patients having recovered in the last 24 hours. This brings the total recoveries to 3,20,28,825 across the country.
With over 85 per cent Covid patients in the southern state isolated at home, the Health Ministry has stressed on a "smart and strategic lockdown" to curb the daily surge, sources told NDTV. Kerala has not been following the Centre's advice while reporting the highest daily cases in the country, officials insisted, adding that neighbouring states are feeling the impact.
As many as 32 students - all of them returnees from Kerala - have tested positive for COVID-19 in a college in Karnataka, state Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Wednesday. There are 18,386 active cases in the state as of now.
India's active caseload stands at 3,89,583. In the last 24 hours, active cases increased by 11,402.
India has administered 81,09,244 Covid-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of doses administered to 66,30,37,334. A total of 16,84,441 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
Amid the rise in Covid-19 cases, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission to Hyderabad-based Biological E Limited to conduct Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for its anti-COVID shots called Corbevax on children between 5 and 18 years.
Biological E, if passes the trial, would become the third coronavirus vaccine for children after Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D.