India on Monday reported 14,306 new cases of COVID-19 and 443 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking its overall caseload to 3,41,89,774. India’s coronavirus-related fatalities have surged to 4,54,712.With this, the active caseload in the country stands at 1,67,695, which is the lowest in 239 days. The active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.49 per cent, which is the lowest since March 2020. Also, the daily recoveries have increased to 18,762. The recovery rate is highest since the beginning of the pandemic and is currently at 98.18 per cent. The weekly positivity rate stood at 1.24 per cent and the daily positivity rate at 1.43 per cent.The country has so far conducted over 60.07 crore testsOver 102 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, including more than 12 lakh doses administered on Sunday.On Thursday this week, India administered its billionth vaccine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation a day after, said it was “not just a number” but the symbol of the country’s ability and of a “new India”.Meanwhile, as Diwali is approaching, the central government has issued a fresh set of COVID-19 guidelines to the state governments.Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in an official release, said, “States/UTs are further requested to ensure that non-adherence to COVID Appropriate behavior in public places is dealt with strongly. Inter-sectoral collaboration between health departments, law enforcement agencies, market and trade associations, civil society organizations, and community will be essential to curb any risk of a spike in COVID-19 trajectory.”
