India reported 18,177 fresh cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), lowest in months, and 217 related deaths in the last 24 hours, data from the Union ministry of health and family welfare showed on Sunday morning. As the infection tally stood at 10,323,965, the number of active cases Covid-19 also dipped to 247,220 even as the country’s death toll rose to 149,435.
The Union health ministry’s Covid-19 dashboard at 8am showed there were 20,923 recoveries between Saturday and Sunday morning, which have taken the total number of patients cured of the viral disease to 9,927,310 and the national recovery rate to 96.15%.
The dip in fresh cases of the coronavirus disease comes on a day the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is likely to formally announce the approval for two vaccines by Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech. Experts at India’s drug regulators have recommended that the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech Covid-19 vaccines be allowed for use in India, which is the world’s second worst-hit country.
The subject expert committee (SEC) under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recommended Oxford-AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) as Covishield, for emergency use and Covaxin for restricted use. Covaxin is the indigenous vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that free vaccine shall be given to most prioritised beneficiaries, including 10 million healthcare and 20 million frontline workers, across the nation in the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination. He had also warned people against falling prey to rumours and disinformation campaigns regarding the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine and dismissed rumours on social media.
The Union health ministry on Saturday conducted a nationwide mock drill at 285 session sites to test the end-to-end planned operations and the mechanism that has been set up to ensure smooth conduct of the Covid-19 vaccination that is expected to begin soon.
