New Delhi: India recorded 17,296 fresh Covid cases Thursday, taking the total to 4,90,401. This is the highest single-day jump. The number of tests too was at an all-time high of 2,15,446, which kept the positivity rate maintained at 8%, just marginally down since Wednesday’s 8.1%.
The total number of samples tested, as of 9 am Friday morning, was 77,76,228.
Active cases
There are currently 1,89,463 active cases in the country and all of them are under active medical supervision. Active cases give an idea of the disease burden as on date. Looking at total cases can often inflate the size of an epidemic.
Tests conducted
ICMR has roped in 11 new laboratories in the last 24 hours for Covid testing. India now has 1,016 diagnostic labs dedicated to Covid-19. This includes 737 in the government sector and 279 private labs.
Mortality rate
There were 407 Covid deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the toll now to 15,301. The graph has been on a steady upward curve for several weeks now.
Positivity rate
The sample positivity rate gives an idea about the amount of contact-tracing happening and whether the number of tests are sufficient. So far, it has remained steady, other than a weekly bump on Sundays when testing reduces.
Recoveries
The recovered cases now exceed the active cases by 96,173. During the last 24 hours, a total of 13,940 Covid-19 patients have cured, taking the cumulative figure to 2,85,636. This has led to the recovery rate touching 58.24%.
Total cases
The total cases are now nearing half a million. However, it is important to note that less than half of this number are active cases.
Worst-hit states
Delhi: With 3,390 fresh cases and 64 deaths in the last 24 hours, Delhi’s total now stands at 73,780. Less than a third of these are active cases.
Gujarat: The state continues to have a high mortality rate with 1,753 deaths among 29,520 cases. The number of active cases is less than a quarter of the total cases.
Maharashtra:Maharashtra remains the state with the highest disease burden of 1,47,741 and 6,931 deaths. Several urban hotspots like Mumbai, Pune and Thane are make Covid control an uphill task in the state.
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu remains in the top four because of a high caseload but continues to buck the national mortality trends.
Tests and positive cases
A comparison of the number of tests and the daily positives throws up the striking differences among the four states in testing even if the positivity rates are comparable at 19.5% for delhi, 13.8% for Maharashtra, 11.1% for Gujarat and 11.5% for Tamil nadu. The Tamil nadu testing bar tells the story of the state.
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