New Delhi, Jan 10 (UNI) For the 16th successive day, coronavirus deaths in India were below 300 while the country registered 18,645 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 1,04,50,284, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.

However, 201 more lives were claimed by the contagion since Saturday, pushing the nation's pandemic death toll to 1,50,999.

The focused efforts of Centre and State/UT governments on effective clinical management of the hospitalised cases have ensured sustained decline in India's Fatality Rate which is 1.44 per cent on Sunday.

With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardised clinical management protocols based on holistic Standard of Care Protocol across government and private hospitals, the number of new deaths have dipped.

Less than 300 new deaths are being recorded in the country since the last 16 days.

As part of the COVID management and response policy, there has been a sharp focus of the Central Government on not only containing the COVID, but to reduce deaths and to save lives by providing quality clinical care to the critical and severe patients of COVID.

Collaborative efforts of the Union and State/UT governments have resulted in strengthening of the health facilities across the country.

India's present active caseload of 2,23,335 consists of just 2.14 per cent of India's total positive cases.

A recovery of 19,299 cases in the last 24 hours has ensured a decline of 855 cases from the total active caseload.

The total recovered cases are at 1,00,75,950 on Sunday. The recovery rate has improved to 96.42 per cent.

A total of 90 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome.

UNI NY JW1414