With 8,635 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India recorded the lowest single-day rise in its tally in nearly eight months, the government data this morning showed. 

In a boost to the fight against the pandemic, the country has been vaccinating its citizens much faster than any other nation in the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his radio address - "Mann Ki Baat". 

More than 39 lakh have been vaccinated since the government began the world's largest inoculation drive on January 16, the Health Ministry data shows.

The surge in Covid infections in the last 24 hours has been the lowest since June 2 when 8,171 cases were recorded. A total of 1,07,66,245 infections have been logged since January 30 last year when Kerala reported the country's first COVID-19 case - a student who had returned from China's Wuhan where the pandemic is believed to have originated.

More than 1.04 crore patients have recovered in a year; 1,54,486 deaths linked to the disease have been recorded so far. In the last 24 hours, 94 deaths of patients who contracted Covid were reported across the country. This is the lowest since May 12 when 87 deaths were reported. Since October, India has been witnessing a drop in the cases recorded each day.

While the surge in cases has been curbed in most parts of the country, the centre has rushed "two high-level multi-disciplinary teams to Kerala and Maharashtra to collaborate with the state health authorities in instituting public health measures for COVID-19 management," a government statement read. 

"At a time when almost all states/union territories are showing a declining trend in number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19, Kerala and Maharashtra continue to report large number of cases. At present, these two States alone are contributing to almost 70% active COVID-19 cases in the country," the statement adds.

India has nearly doubled its healthcare spending in its annual budget.  The country will spend an estimated ₹ 2.23 lakh crore on public health expenditure in FY 2021-2022 - an increase of 137 per cent against budgeted expenditure from the previous year - Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. 

Five states that saw the highest number of cases in the last 24 hours are: Kerala (3,459), Maharashtra (1,948), Tamil Nadu (502), Chhattisgarh (322) and Gujarat (298). 

With three deaths in 24 hours, Delhi recorded lowest COVID-19 deaths In 10 months. The national capital has been on a path to recovery. 

India's recovery rate is 97 per cent. Active cases have dropped to 1.64 lakh. Worldwide, more than 10 crore been affected by the virus so far. 

Source: NDTV

BDST: 1244 HRS, FEB 02, 2021
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