India's COVID-19 case fatality rate falls below 1.5 per cent
New Delhi: India's COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR) fell below 1.5 per cent on Saturday, the Union health ministry said, crediting the Centre-led strategy of 'test, trace, track and treat' for keeping coronavirus-related deaths low and within manageable numbers.
Deaths per million population in the country stand at a very low level of 88, it said.
The ministry said 23 states and union territories in the country have a CFR lower than the national average, while 65 per cent of the total deaths so far were recorded in five states.
A total 551 deaths were reported the previous day, according to the ministry. There is a steady and consistent decline in the number of daily deaths, the ministry said in a statement.
"On a progressive decline, the CFR has dropped to 1.49 per cent as on date. Also, 23 states and UTs have CFR lower than the national average," it said.
The Centre-led strategy of 'test, trace, track and treat' has focused on effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardised clinical management protocols based on a comprehensive Standard of Care approach which includes use of anticoagulants and non-invasive oxygen, the statement said.
The effective implementation of the strategy by state and UT governments has resulted in early identification, prompt isolation and timely clinical management of hospitalised cases, it said.
"These have ensured that India's COVID mortality is kept low and within manageable numbers," it added.
The ministry said 65 per cent of the total deaths were recorded in five States -- Maharashtra (36.04 pc), Karnataka (9.16 pc), Tamil Nadu (9.12 pc), Uttar Pradesh (5.76 pc) and West Bengal (5.58 pc).
Ten states and UTs -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh -- account for 85 per cent of the total deaths, it said.
Six states and UTs registered cumulative deaths below 100, whereas eight states and UTs registered deaths below 1,000, it added. Sixteen states and UTs have recorded deaths below 10,000.
India added 59,454 new recoveries the previous day, while 48,268 new infections were reported. The total number of recoveries has crossed the 74-lakh mark (7,432,829).
"Higher number of single-day recoveries is also reflected in the continuous increase in the national recovery rate, which is at present 91.34 per cent," the ministry underscored.
"India continues to report a trend of steadily decreasing active cases. Presently, the active cases comprise merely 7.16 per cent of the total positive cases of the country, standing at 5,82,649," it said.
Active cases in the country remained below 6 lakh for the second consecutive day on Saturday. Seventy-nine per cent of the recovered cases are concentrated in 10 states and UTs, according to the ministry.
"Karnataka and Maharashtra have contributed the maximum to the single-day recoveries with more than 8,000 cases, followed by Kerala with more than 7,000 cases," the ministry said.
Of the 48,268 new infections registered the previous day, 78 per cent are from 10 states and UTs, it said.
Kerala and Maharashtra have added the maximum to the new confirmed cases with more than 6,000 cases each, followed by Delhi with more than 5,000 cases, it added.
Also, 551 case fatalities were reported the previous day. Of these, nearly 83 per cent are concentrated in 10 states and UTs.
More than 23 per cent of new fatalities were from Maharashtra (127 deaths). India's COVID-19 caseload stands at 81,37,119, while the death toll has risen to 1,21,641, ministry data updated at 8 am showed.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
