India sees single-day rise of 38,628 COVID-19 cases, 617 deaths
New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI): India recorded a single-day rise of 38,628 new coronavirus cases, taking the infection tally to 3,18,95,385, while the death toll climbed to 4,27,371 with 617 fresh fatalities, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.
The active cases in the country have declined to 4,12,153 and comprises 1.29 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.37 per cent, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.
A decrease of 2,006 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, it said.
The ministry also said that 17,50,081 tests were conducted on Friday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 to 47,83,16,964.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.21 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the last 12 days.
Weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.39 per cent, according to the health ministry.
Meanwhile, the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,10,55,861, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.
Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 50.10 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7 last, 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, 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 2 crore on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23 this year.
According to the ministry data, the 617 latest fatalities include 187 each from Maharashtra and Kerala.
A total of 4,27,371 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,33,717 from Maharashtra, 36,741 from Karnataka, 34,260 from Tamil Nadu, 25,065 from Delhi, 22,771 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,202 from West Bengal and 17,515 from Kerala.
The health 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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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
