India’s active Covid-19 caseload at 409,689 lowest in over 4 months

The daily new recoveries recorded in the country have been more than the everyday cases registered from the last eight days, the health ministry said.

With a one-day jump of 36,652 cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), India’s infection tally has surpassed 9.6 million while as many as 9,058,822 people have recovered pushing the recovery rate to 94.20%, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare’s daily bulletin on Saturday. Reviving hopes for a return to “normalcy”, the country’s active caseload has dropped below 0.41 million. Of the total 9,608,211 total confirmed cases in India, only 409,689 are active, which means the active caseload stands at 4.35%.

Medics from NMMC Hospital collect swab samples of commuters for Rapid Antigen and RT-PCR test for Covid-19 at Nerul Railway Station in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. (Bachchan Kumar/HT Photo)

“India’s total active caseload has dropped below 4.10 lakh (4,09,689) today. This is the lowest after 136 days. The total active cases were 4,11,133, on July 22,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Also, the daily new recoveries recorded in the country have been more than the everyday cases registered from the last eight days, the ministry added. A total of 42,533 people has recovered and/or been discharged from Covid-19 designated hospitals in the last 24 hours. The rising recoveries have also improved the recovery rate to 94.28%, according to the health ministry. “The gap between recovered cases and active cases is nearing 86.50 lakh and presently, stands at 8,649,133,” the statement said.

The drop in active cases comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is set to get a Covid-19 vaccine within weeks. While briefing an all-party meeting on the preparations for “cheap and safe” Made in India vaccines, PM Modi assured the political leaders that immunisation would start as soon as scientists give a go-ahead.

“There are 8 potential vaccines at different stages of trials and their production will be in India. Three indigenous vaccines are also at different levels of trials. Experts believe it will not be a long wait for a Covid vaccine. It is believed that in the next few weeks, a Covid vaccine will be ready. As soon as scientists give the green signal, immunisation will start in India,” the PM at the virtual meeting.