New Delhi: For the second successive day, the number of tests Friday crossed 11 lakh and the number of cases crossed 83,000, keeping the positivity rate under check even though it is now very clear that the pandemic shows no signs of abating in India.
The deaths have crossed the 1,000 mark for the third day in a row and 70 per cent of all Covid deaths in India have been reported from five states and Union Territories — Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Active cases
The total number of active cases in the country has now crossed the 8 lakh mark. Of these, 62 per cent are in five states — Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Active cases are an important parameter because these mark the real caseload in the country at a given point.
Number of deaths
The daily deaths now seem to have settled above the 1,000 mark, with 1,096 people dying in the last 24 hours. The total number now stands at 68,472.
Mortality rate
The case fatality rates (CFR) of all states are coming down as is the national average that currently stands at 1.74 per cent. The worrying factor is that while Delhi’s CFR is already far above the national average, it is also reporting a 50 per cent increase in daily deaths week on week.
Daily tests
For the second day in a row, India tested more than 11 lakh samples for Covid, even as cases remain alarmingly high. Currently, there are 1,025 labs in the government sector, and 606 private labs, capable of doing the test.
Positivity rate
In the last 24 hours, 83,341 samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. This is more than the total official disease count of China. However, thanks to increased testing, the positivity rate has stayed constant at 7.1.
Recovered cases
So far, more than 30 lakh people have recovered from the disease. However, what the numbers don’t reflect is the fact that many of these people are reporting back to hospitals for post-Covid symptoms and there have also been cases of sudden deaths post recovery, which are not counted as Covid deaths.
Total cases
India will cross the 40-lakh mark over the weekend as cases are now coming in at an increasingly high rate. The government, however, maintains that things are and will be under control provided mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene are maintained.
High burden states
With 10,199 cases and 75 deaths in the last 24 hours, Andhra Pradesh has so far reported 4,65,730 cases at a growth rate of 2.45 per cent. The case fatality rate currently stands at 0.90 per cent and the recovery rate is 76.83 per cent.
Maharashtra has the highest disease burden in the country — 8,43,844 — and continues to report alarmingly high numbers of positives every day. Yesterday, there were 18,105 fresh cases and 392 deaths.
While the case fatality rate in Karnataka, at 1.64 per cent, is less than the national average, the pandemic is growing at a faster pace in the state than at the national level. The doubling time nationally is 33 days, but in Karnataka, it is almost 28 days.
With 5,662 fresh cases and 75 deaths in the last 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh’s tally is now at 2,47,101. The doubling time is a little over 29 days and the case fatality rate is 1.49 per cent.
Recently pushed to third place by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, along with Maharashtra, has been in the list of high burden states right from the beginning of the pandemic. It currently has a doubling time of almost 50 days.
Tests and positive cases
Maharashtra is fast increasing testing, inching closer to the 1 lakh mark even as UP continues to stay above it. Maharashtra is also reporting far higher cases than any other state in the country unlike Uttar Pradesh, which has remained in the 5,000-6,000 range.