Active Covid-19 cases in India register increase for second consecutive day
New Delhi: India saw a single day rise of 41,383 coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,12,57,720, while the active cases registered an increase for the second consecutive day and were recorded at 4,09,394, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The country's COVID-19 death toll rose to 4,18,987 with 507 fresh fatalities.
The active cases comprise 1.31 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.35 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
An increase of 2,224 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
As many as 17,18,439 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 45,09,11,712.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.41 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for 31 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.12 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,04,29,339 and the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.
Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 41.78 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
The 507 new fatalities include 165 from Maharashtra and 105 from Kerala.
A total of 4,18,987 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,30,918 from Maharashtra, 36,262 from Karnataka, 33,809 from Tamil Nadu, 25,039 from Delhi, 22,739 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,027 from West Bengal and 16,246 from Punjab.
The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
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No Modi wave in Karnataka but one in favour of Cong govt: Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said there is "no Modi wave" in Karnataka but there is one in favour of Congress government's guarantee schemes, as he claimed his party will win about 20 out of total 28 Lok Sabha polls in the state.
He was speaking to reporters after casting his vote at his native village Siddaramanahundi in this district.
Voting was underway on Friday in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka in 14 constituencies.
"There is no Modi wave in Karnataka, the wave that is there is the 'guarantee wave'. Congress will win about 20 seats, because our guarantee schemes have reached the people and without any middlemen the money is reaching the bank accounts of the people directly every month," Siddaramaiah said.
He expressed confidence about people "blessing" the Congress party, as they did during the Assembly polls last year which saw his party scoring a thumping win.
Asked as to how many seats the Congress will win out of 14 seats in the first phase, the Chief Minister said, "It cannot be said correctly as of now, as it is a secret ballot, but we will win the majority of the seats."
Responding to a question, he said, "We will win both Mysore and Chamarajanagar seats."
Stakes are also high for Siddaramaiah, as victory in his home turf of Mysore and Chamarajanagar is seen as important, analysts say.
Poll prospects of the Congress are good in the districts that are going for polls in the second phase, Siddaramaiah said. He had campaigned during the last two days in the constituencies along with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Gulbarga (Kalaburagi) and Bidar. "We will win both segments," he said.
The second phase of polling in the remaining 14 seats, mostly in the northern part of the state, is on May 7.
Stating that PM Narendra Modi's recent speeches are filled with "frustration", the Chief Minister said, "The speeches he made were not as the Prime Minister of the country. They are anti-Constitution. So I feel he is frustrated, he may have a fear of losing."
Siddaramaiah also accused JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda of indulging in "opportunist politics" and took a dig at the former Prime Minister for reportedly getting emotional and shedding tears recently during campaigning.
"People know that it is artificial and not true. If people bless us we will survive in politics and if they don't we will not survive, what is there to shed tears," he said.
