COVID-19 recoveries cross 29 lakh, exceed active cases by more than 21 lakh
New Delhi: The number patients who have recuperated from COVID-19 in India has crossed 29 lakh, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday, underlining that the last 10 lakh recoveries were recorded in only 17 days as against the 10 lakh before that which took 22 days.
The number of recovered cases exceeds that of active cases of coronavirus infection by more than 21 lakhs.
The ministry said 12 states and UTs have reported recovery rates higher than the national average of 76.98 per cent. Two states, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, alone account for around 30 per cent of the total recoveries, it said.
"As India continues to sustain its progressively increasing rate of recoveries, a higher number of patients are recovering and being discharged from hospitals and home isolation," the ministry said.
With 62,026 patients having recuperated in a span of 24 hours, India's recovery rate has further improved to 76.98 per cent. "This figure is demonstrating a continuous progress," the ministry said.
There are 8,01,282, active cases in the country which comprises 21.26 per cent of the total caseload, according to the health ministry data updated at 8 am.
As the daily recoveries increase, India has registered more than 60,000 recoveries for the sixth day in a row.
"The number of recovered cases has overtaken the active cases by more than 21 lakhs. There has been more than four-time jump in the average weekly recoveries from the first week of July to last week of August," the ministry added.
The top 10 states and UTs having high recovery rate include Delhi with 88.50 per cent, Bihar 87.90 per cent, Tamil Nadu 86.20 per cent, West Bengal 83 per cent, Rajasthan 81.90 per cent and Gujarat with 80.80 per cent.
India's COVID-19 tally of cases mounted to 37,69,523 on Wednesday with 78,357 new instances of the disease being reported in a day. The death toll climbed to 66,333 with 1,045 more fatalities reported in a 24-hour period, according to the data updated at 8 am.
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SC asks Centre to consider amending law on terminating pregnancy of rape survivors
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday took strong exception to a plea by AIIMS seeking to set aside its order allowing a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her 30-week pregnancy, and asked the Centre to consider amending the law to permit rape survivors to terminate unwanted pregnancies even beyond 20 weeks.
The top court said when there is pregnancy due to rape, there should not be a time limit.
Law needs to be organic and in sync with evolving time, it stressed.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said this is a case of child rape and the survivor will have a lifelong scar and trauma if termination is not allowed.
The top court said if the mother does not have permanent disability then it should be carried out.
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It asked AIIMS to counsel parents of the survivor over the issue and said the decision has to be of the person concerned.
"There are children for adoption. In this country we have lot of sympathies...There are deserted, abandoned children on the streets and even mafias on it. We have to look at them. This is an unwanted pregnancy of a 15-year-old child.
"This is a curative petition. Unwanted pregnancy cannot be thrusted on a person. Imagine she is a child. She should be studying now. But we want to make her a mother. Imagine the pain, the humiliation the child has suffered in this," the bench said.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for AIIMS, mentioned the curative plea, and said the termination of pregnancy is not possible.
"It will be a live baby with severe deformities. Minor mother will have lifelong health issues and cannot reproduce. Minor mother will have lifelong health issues. This child can be given for adoption. It has been 30 weeks now. It is a viable life now," she said.
The top court said the decision on termination has to choice of the survivor and her parents and AIIMS may help them take an informed decision.
On April 24, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had allowed the girl to medically terminate her pregnancy of 30 weeks.
