India records 44,111 new COVID-19 cases, 738 deaths
New Delhi: India saw a single-day rise of 44,111 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 3,05,02,362, while the death toll climbed to 4,01,050, with 738 new fatalities, the lowest in 86 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.
The active cases -- 4,95,533 -- were recorded below five lakh after 97 days and comprised 1.62 percent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate improved to 97.06 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
A net decline of 14,104 cases has been recorded in active coronavirus infections in a span of 24 hours, it said.
Also, 18,76,036 tests were conducted on Thursday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 41,64,16,463.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.35 percent. It has been less than 5 percent for 26 consecutive days, the ministry said.
The weekly positivity rate has declined to 2.50 percent, it added.
Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for 51st consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,96,05,779, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.31 percent, the data stated.
Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 34.46 crore under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive, it said.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 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, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
The country crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore cases on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23.
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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.
