'Good news': Zero daily death toll due to COVID in 15 states, Union Territories

No COVID-19 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours in 15 states and Union Territories, the government said on Tuesday (February 9). There has been a 55 per cent decline in the average daily deaths and the number of new daily cases has also seen a steady decline over the last five weeks.

Over the last week, seven states and Union Territories – Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar, Tripura, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Nagaland, Mizoram and Lakshadweep –have reported zero deaths, the Union health ministry said.

The figures of daily mortality per million population in India over the last week have been among the lowest in the world, VK Paul, member of Niti Aayog, said.

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“The number of cases [of COVID] is also falling. So that is good news. In the last 24 hours, no death was recorded in Delhi. So that is also a good news,” Paul said.

He, however, said it is important to continue to take precautions. “The countrywide sero survey tells us that over 70 per cent of our population is still vulnerable.”

The national sero survey has showed that 25 per cent people have COVID anti-bodies. In Mumbai, though, the figure is much higher – more than 75 per cent.

In Delhi, the last sero survey indicated that the city is heading towards herd immunity, with possibly one in two persons carrying COVID antibodies. The official number of infected people when the survey was completed was over 6.34 lakh.

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India began its nationwide vaccination drive on January 16. Those who received the first shot of the vaccine on the day vaccination was kicked off are expected to receive the booster dose on February 13.