India logs 18,930 new Covid cases in last 24 hours

NEW DELHI: In a slight uptick in the new Covid cases, India logged 18,930 fresh infections in the last 24 hours, an increase of 2,771 infections than yesterday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

The country had recorded 16,159 new Covid cases on Wednesday. With this, the active cases in the country stand at 1,19,457.

The daily case positivity rate went up from 3.56 per cent yesterday (Wednesday) to 4.32 per cent today while the weekly positivity rate stands at 3.86 per cent.

As many as 14,650 Covid patients recovered in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries from the disease since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,29,21,977. The recovery rate is 98.52 per cent.

A total of 35 patients succumbed to the virus during this period. The death toll in the country rose to 5,25,305.

Out of the 86.53 crore Covid tests conducted in the country so far, 4,38,005 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 11,44,489 Covid vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours. A total of 1,98,33,18,772 vaccines have been jabbed so far.

Amid the recent surge reported in Covid cases across the country, the Health Ministry of India on June 9 urged States and Union Territories to not lower their guards and strictly maintain the Covid appropriate behaviour.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote a letter to States/UTs and directed them to ramp up RT-PCR testing, surveillance, clinical management, vaccination, Covid protocols and take timely pre-emptive actions.

Bhushan also advised the government to follow a 'five-fold Strategy'. Meanwhile, over 10.77 crore balance and unutilized Covid vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.