India reports 43,393 new Covid-19 cases, active cases slide to 458,727
Friday’s case count is 2,499 less than that of Thursday’s when 45,892 cases were reported
India reported 43,393 new cases and 911 more deaths due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Friday, taking the caseload and death toll to 30,752,950 and 405,939 respectively, according to the Union health ministry's update at 8am.
As many as 44,459 people recovered from the viral disease in the previous 24 hours, taking the cumulative recoveries to 29,888,284. The active cases have declined to 458,727 and constitute 1.50 per cent of the caseload.
Friday's case count is 2,499 less than that of Thursday's when 45,892 cases were reported. However, the deaths from the infection on Friday are 94 more than that of Thursday's, when 817 people succumbed to the viral disease. On Wednesday, the country saw 43,733 cases and 930 more deaths.
A total of 427,016,605 samples have been tested for the Covid-19 disease so far of which 1,790,708 were tested in the previous 24 hours, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his council of ministers on Thursday that there should be no room for complacency and stressed that a single mistake would have far reaching impact and may weaken the country's fight against the Covid-19 disease pandemic.
As photographs and videos emerged of severe overcrowding in hill stations and market places across the country with no adherence to Covid-19 protocols, such as wearing masks or social distancing, Modi said this is not a pleasant sight and it should instil a sense of fear in people.
"PM Modi said that with the Covid-19 infection numbers being fewer than what they were in the recent months, people may want to venture out. However, everyone must remember that the threat of Covid-19 is far from over. Many other nations are seeing surges in infections. The virus is also mutating," sources told news agency PTI on Thursday. The Prime Minister also told his ministers to urge people to take all possible precautions so that the country can move beyond the pandemic in the near future.
A total of 364,847,549 doses of the vaccine against Covid-19 have been administered to people so far of which 295,889,870 have received the first dose and 68,957,679 have received both doses. Over 3.38 million beneficiaries were inoculated in the past 24 hours.
