Consistent fall in India's active caseload due to decline in daily infections: Health ministry
New Delhi: The decline in India's daily COVID-19 cases has ensured a consistent fall in the active caseload, which constitutes 2.36 per cent of the total infections, while higher testing has led to the positivity rate further going down to 5.89 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Monday.
India's cumulative tests have gone past 17.5 crore (17,56,35,761), with 7,35,978 samples being tested the previous day, it said.
"One crore tests were conducted in the last 11 days. Higher testing has led to a further decline in the cumulative positivity rate at 5.89 per cent," the ministry said.
India's testing infrastructure has received a boost with 2,299 labs across the country, it said. A net decline of 3,267 cases was recorded in the total active cases the previous day, the ministry said.
As on date, India's active caseload stands at 2,43,953.
India's COVID-19 recoveries are inching closer to one crore. The total number of recovered cases has surged to 99,46,867, which translates to a recovery rate of 96.19 per cent.
A total of 19,557 people recovered the previous day, the ministry said.
Of the new recoveries, 76.76 per cent were observed to be concentrated in 10 states and union territories (UTs) -- Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
Kerala reported the highest number of single-day recoveries at 4,668, followed by 2,064 in Maharashtra and 1,432 in West Bengal.
Of the new cases, 83.90 per cent were concentrated in 10 states and UTs --Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Kerala reported the highest number of new cases at 4,600. Maharashtra reported 3,282 new cases while West Bengal reported 896.
Another 10 states and UTs -- Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu -- accounted for 77.57 per cent of the 214 deaths reported the previous day.
Maharashtra reported 35 deaths, followed by 26 in West Bengal and 25 in Kerala.
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Prabhsimran fifty, Jitesh cameo lift Punjab Kings to 214/5 against SRH
Hyderabad, May 19: Prabhsimran Singh set the tone with a quickfire fifty before skipper Jitesh Sharma finished it off in style to lift Punjab Kings to an imposing 214/5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, here on Sunday.
The new look opening pair of Prabhsimran and Vidarbha's Atharva Taide put on 97 runs from 55 balls as PBKS did well to see through the power play without losing a wicket after opting to bat.
Prabhsimran smashed seven fours and four sixes for his 45-ball 71, while Taide will regret missing out on a fifty after being dismissed for a well-made 46 off just 27 balls.
Taide smashed five fours and two sixes and after his departure, Prabhsimran got the company of Rilee Rossouw as the duo put together 54 off 32 balls to keep the momentum going in the middle overs.
It looked a one-way traffic at 151/1 in 14 overs when leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth dismissed the set batter Prabhsimran off a quicker delivery that took a faint edge and Heinrich Klaasen did well to take a one-handed catch behind the stumps.
Cummins (1/36) ended his spell taking the wicket Rossouw one run shy of a half-century in the 18th over that left two new batters at the crease -- Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma.
T Natarajan (2/33) then did well to remove the inform Ashutosh Sharma in the penultimate over.
PBKS went on to lose four wickets for 44 runs in five overs before the stand-in skipper Jitesh's last over assault took them to a fighting total.
Jitesh (32 not out from 15 balls; 2x4, 2x6) finished with two sixes against Nitish Kumar Reddy in a 20-run final over.
It was a fearless batting display by the Punjab Kings who had nothing to lose and playing the last match of the season.
There was no Jonny Bairstow or Liam Livingstone -- the English duo who have left home for national duty -- but PBKS batters never felt their absence after they opted to bat.
Following a tidy start by Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar where the duo conceded just 12 runs, Prabhsimran took on the veteran Indian seamer slamming him for consecutive boundaries.
The lefthander Taide then got into the act in Natarajan's opening over, when he dragged one from outside off to through mid-on and followed it up with a mighty pull.
The diminutive Punjab batter Prabhsimran added to their misery, hammering a 145kph delivery from Cummins over deep square leg with sheer timing.
Taide also matched his senior partner Prabhsimran and took on Bhuvneshwar with a six and four, as PBKS cruised to 61 for no loss in the power play and the home side looked desperate in search of a breakthrough.
Natarajan finally broke the opening partnership in the 10th over with a short and widish delivery to dismiss a well set Taide.
But Prabhsimran continued his belligerent batting in the company of Rossouw and raced to a 34-ball fifty, his second this season in the 11th over.
His big assault came in Nitish Reddy's next over when the duo spanked him for 20 runs two sixes and one four as there was no stopping PBKS.
