India's COVID-19 caseload climbs to 76,51,107 with 54,044 new cases
New Delhi: The number of new coronavirus infections reported in India in a span of 24 hours remained below 60,000 for the third consecutive day, taking the COVID-19 caseload to 76,51,107, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
A total of 54,044 fresh infections were reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,15,914 with 717 fatalities being registered in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
As many as 67,95,103 people have recuperated from the disease so far pushing the national recovery rate to 88.81 percent while the case fatality rate due COVID-19 has dropped to 1.51 percent.
The active cases of coronavirus infection remained below 8 lakh for the fifth consecutive day.
There are 7,40,090 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 9.67 percent of the total caseload, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, and crossed 70 lakh on October 11.
According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 9,72,00,379 samples have been tested up to October 20 with 10,83,608 samples being tested on Tuesday.
The 717 new fatalities include 213 from Maharashtra, 66 from Karnataka, 61 from West Bengal, 50 each from Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu, and 41 from Delhi.
A total of 1,15,914 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 42,453 from Maharashtra followed by 10,741 from Tamil Nadu, 10,608 from Karnataka, 6,714 from Uttar Pradesh, 6,481 from Andhra Pradesh, 6,180 from West Bengal, 6,081 from Delhi, 4,037 from Punjab and 3,651 from Gujarat.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent 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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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
