Fifteen per cent of all confirmed Covid-19 cases reported in India, amounting to 37.1 lakh, are currently active. At the same time, 83.26 per cent or 1.97 crore patients have recovered to date, said Joint Secretary (MoHFW), Lav Agarwal.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Agarwal added that the national average of case fatality rates (CFR) among Covid patients in the country stands at 1.09 per cent. Others who addressed the press conference were Dr VK Paul and ICMR DG Balram Bhargava.
Active cases are more than 1 lakh in 12 states, more than 50,000 in eight states and less than 50,000 in four states, said Lav Agarwal. He added that the positivity rate in as many as 24 states is more than 15 per cent while it is 5-15 per cent in eight states and less than 5 per cent in four states.
Districts in India showing continued increase in Covid-19 cases
Surge in cases is being seen in 16 states but the national positivity rate has now dropped below 20 per cent, said the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Infections are on the rise in 316 districts, including Chennai. At the same time, there has been a regular decrease in daily new cases in 187 districts.
While praising containment measures initiated by RWAs (resident welfare associations) in Noida and similar initiatives in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, Lav Agarwal said public participation is the only way to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
‘Projected to have 216 crore doses of vaccines'
A total of 17.72 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered across the country in 114 days, said NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul. Dr Paul is also the chairman of The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC).
“After the US and China, we are third in the list of nations that are vaccinating their respective populations fastest against Covid-19,” said Dr VK Paul. He went on to add that one-third of India's population aged 45 and above has received the first dose of approved vaccines.
Our responsibility to provide the second dose is important and we need the cooperation of people to seek the second dose & State Governments to focus on the administration of 2nd dose: Member, Health @NITIAayog #Unite2FightCorona #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/H4daYEGZNB
— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 13, 2021
Vaccinating vulnerable groups has been the government's priority, said Dr Paul, adding, those in the age group of 45+ account for 88 per cent of the deaths due to Covid-19.
“We are passing through a phase with finite supplies,” said Dr VK Paul.
Dr VK Paul said nearly 50 per cent of those who are to be administered the second dose, have received it. At least 70 per cent of those who had received the first jab in West Bengal, Tripura and Sikkim, have been administered the second dose, he added.
A total of 51.6 crore doses, including 16 crore additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines for states and private hospitals, are in the pipeline. “We have procured 35.6 crore doses so far,” Dr VK Paul said during the press conference on Thursday.
