Over 25 lakh cured of COVID in India; death toll crosses 60K
India crossed the 25-lakh mark in the number of recoveries on Wednesday (August 26), increasing the recovery rate to 76.25 per cent. As of 9.00 pm, the country had 32,80,962 confirmed cases, while the death toll increased to 60,163, with as many as 49,208 fresh cases and 551 new deaths. So far, 3.76 crore samples have been tested.
Maharashtra reported a highest single-day spike of 14,888 coronavirus cases which took the case count to 7,18,711, a health official said. The previous highest increase in the cases was 14,492, recorded on August 21. On Wednesday, the death toll in the state due to the pandemic reached 23,089 with addition of 295 fatalities.
Tamil Nadu saw 5,958 fresh cases that pushed the tally close to four lakhs, while 118 deaths took the toll to 6,839. Recoveries were 5,606 as the cumulative number of people cured rose to 3,38,060. While the total infection count reached 3,97,261, active cases stood at 52,362. The state tested 75,500 samples on Wednesday.
Amid the scramble to produce a vaccine against the deadly COVID-19, Tamil Nadu’s Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Sri Ramachandra Hospital in Chennai will join the Oxford University in England in conducting human clinical trials of Covishield on nearly 300 health volunteers aged 18 and above.
A new record high of 10,830 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in a day in Andhra Pradesh as the states aggregate tally shot up to 3,82,469. Results from 61,838 sample tests in 24 hours ending 9 am on Wednesday turned out the record number of positives in a single day so far, surpassing the 10,820 reported on August 9.
COVID-19 infections breached the three lakh mark in Karnataka, while the death toll crossed 5,000 as the state on Wednesday reported 8,580 new cases and 133 fatalities. The day also saw 7,249 patients getting discharged after recovery Bengaluru Urban accounted for the maximum numbers in fresh cases with 3,284.
Delhi recorded 1,693 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike in August in the city, taking the tally to over 1.65 lakh, while the death toll climbed to 4,347. As many as 17 fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours. On June 23, the national capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947, till date.
COVID-19 tests in Delhi will be doubled to 40,000 per day within a week as there has been a marginal increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday, asserting that aggressive testing and isolation will remain his governments strategy to fight the disease.
Gujarat’s COVID-19 tally rose to 90,139 with addition of 1,197 new cases. With 17 fatalities, the total count mounted to 2,947. A total of 1,047 patients were discharged in the day, taking the overall count of recoveries in the state to 72,308. The states recovery rate now stands at 80.22 per cent.
Uttar Pradesh reported 82 COVID-19 fatalities, taking the death toll due to the disease to 3,141 in the state, while the highest single-day spike of 5,898 new cases took its caseload past the two lakh-mark to 2,03,020. In the last 24 hours, 5,898 fresh COVID-19 cases were found. There are a total of 51,317 active cases in the state.
Kerala added 2,476 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest ever single-day surge, taking the total infection count to 64,354. The state recorded 13 deaths as the toll mounted to 257. As many as 69 healthcare workers were among the fresh cases of whom 2,243 were infected through contacts while the source of infection of 175 was not traceable.
Over 700 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 34,480 while the death toll reached 657 with 19 more fatalities, officials said on Wednesday. Fifteen deaths were reported from Kashmir and four from the Jammu region, they said.
