Active Covid cases in India drop below 8 lakh

India has hit a peak as active coronavirus cases dropped below the eight-lakh mark for the first time in 1.5 months. The Union Health Ministry said this on Saturday. According to government data, the active caseload is now only 10.7% of the tally. “This significant achievement is the outcome of government-led strategies leading to a high number of recoveries and steadily falling number of deaths, claimed the Ministry.

India still continues to report the highest number of new COVID-19 daily infections in the world. According to government data, 79% new cases, 78% recoveries and 82% deaths were concentrated in some states and union territories.

The states of Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, which have been reporting a consistent rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases. The Centre has sent high level teams to contain the spread.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh remain the worst-hit in terms of total numbers, with all these states, barring UP, also recording the highest number of new cases in the last 24 hours.

Almost one in five deaths was in the United States, the hardest-hit country which has 2.2 lakh deaths from 80 lakh infections, followed by Brazil with 1.5 lakh deaths from 52 lakh cases, India with 1.1 lakh deaths from 74.3 lakh cases.

India remains the second worst affected country in the world behind the Unites States – which is seeing a fresh spike in cases ahead of the winter months. However, India has one of the “lowest deaths per million population globally”, the Health Ministry has said.