New Delhi:India recorded 13,451 new cases of the novel coronavirus, along with 585 deaths due to the infection in the past 24 hours. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, the country saw a total of 14,021 discharges in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery rate at around 98.19 per cent which is the highest since March 2020 and total recoveries data reached to 3,35,97,339.
The total active cases of COVID-19 in India slightly dipped to 1,62,661 (lowest in 242 days), the ministry data showed.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 60,32,07,505 samples have been tested up to October 26 for COVID-19. Of these 13,05,962 samples were tested on Tuesday.
The total death toll in the country is now at 4,55,653. In India, the first death due to COVID pandemic was reported in March 2020.
Meanwhile, Kerala on Tuesday recorded 7,163 fresh coronavirus cases, and 482 related deaths which raised the caseload to 49,19,952 and toll to 29,355. Of the 482 deaths, 90 were reported in the last few days, 341 were those which were not confirmed until June 18 last year due to lack of adequate documentation and 51 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, a state government release said.
With 6,960 more people recovering from the virus since Monday, the total recoveries touched 48,24,745 and the active cases dropped to 74,456, the release said.
Also, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written a letter to Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Bengal Health Secretary regarding new deaths and cases of COVID in the state that have occurred in last 30 days.
In a letter, Secretary Rajesh Bhusan said, "although there has been a significant decline in the average daily new cases (15,092 average daily cases reported in week ending Oct 22) being recorded at the national level, certain districts in the country have started to show a concerning trend in daily news cases and positivity rate. We all need to maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any such district of concern."
West Bengal has reported 20,936 new cases and 343 new deaths in the last 30 days, accounting to 3.4% of India's new cases and 4.7% of new deaths in the last 30 days, the letter reads.