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India on Monday reported daily positivity rate above 6% after 161 days or more than five months, according to Union Health Ministry data. Additionally, the country logged a single day rise of 16,935 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,37,67,534, according to the Union Health Ministry updated data.
The death toll climbed to 5,25,760 with 51 new fatalities, while the active cases increased to 1,44,264, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise 0.33% of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.47%, the ministry said. An increase of 815 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
This development comes following reports stating that India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against Covid-19 as the cumulative doses administered surpassed the 200-crore mark on Sunday, 18 months after it began the drive to combat the deadly epidemic that has claimed over 5.25 lakh lives in the country so far. In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of the country on bringing about this significant feat. He called India's vaccination drive “unparalleled in scale and speed".
The UNICEF termed it a phenomenal accomplishment and a testament to the grit and dedication of India's health workers, while the WHO too praised the effort. "India has set a new record by completing the target of 200 crore vaccinations in just 18 months. Hearty congratulations to all countrymen on this achievement," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet.
"Powered by the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari, India's vaccination journey under PM @NarendraModi Ji's inspiring leadership has emerged as a mighty epitome of Sabka Prayas,'' he said, adding that “this extraordinary achievement will be etched in history." According to provisional reports, a total of 2,00,00,15,631 doses had been administered across the country. The top five states where highest number of doses have been administered are Uttar Pradesh (34,42,69,865), Maharashtra (17,05,70,069), West Bengal (14,40,95,285), Bihar (13,98,78,169) and Madhya Pradesh (12,13,21,534). The health ministry said 98% of India's adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 90 per cent have been fully vaccinated.