Dip in Covid cases for third consecutive day, 2,34,281 new cases, 823 deaths

While the number of daily positive cases has dropped to 2,34,281 for the third day straight, a worrying rise in deaths and daily positivity rate has shown that India is not out of the woods yet. 893 patients succumbed to the virus, up from 871 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the case positivity rate shot up to 14.50 % from 13.39 % on the preceding day.

2,34,281 new cases were reported by the Health Ministry while the overall caseload of the country reached 4,10,92,522. The active case count of the country dipped below the two-lakh mark and currently stands at 18,84,937, the health ministry's update showed. It accounted for 4.91 % of the cumulative tally.

As India's vaccination rates crossed 75%, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to congratulate everyone involved in the effort.

"With the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas', India has achieved 75% of its adult population with both doses of the vaccine. We are getting stronger in the fight against Corona. We have to follow all the rules and get the vaccine as soon as possible," the Minister for Health and Family Welfare said.

India's vaccination coverage against Covid-19 has surpassed 165.70 crore, with as many as 62,22,682 jabs administered to eligible beneficiaries in the last 24 hours. India began administering Covid-19 vaccine shots to individuals aged 15-17 on January 3, while precaution doses (booster shots) for healthcare and those with comorbidities commenced on January 10.

Daily infections in Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states, saw a decline with 27,971 new cases reported on Saturday. This included 85 Omicron infections. Sixty-one pandemic-related deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours, the health department said.

Delhi on Saturday reported 4,483 fresh COVID-19 cases, a positivity rate of 7.41 per cent and 28 deaths, according to data shared by the city health department. With this, the national capital's case count has increased to 18,23,815 and the number of deaths to 25,797, the latest health bulletin stated.