Active Covid cases lowest in 537 days

A health worker collects a swab sample of a passenger at Kalupur Railway station in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

India added 9,283 new coronavirus infections taking the country's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,45,35,763 while the active cases declined to 1,11,481, the lowest in 537 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll climbed to 4,66,584 with 437 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 47 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 150 consecutive days now.

The active cases comprise 0.32 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.33 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said. A decrease of 2,103 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

To help people affected by the pandemic, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to extend distribution of 5kg foodgrains per month for free under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Yojana to over 80 crore ration card holders till March 2022. "The PMGKAY scheme for Phase V from December 2021 till March 2022 would entail an estimated additional food subsidy of Rs 53,344.52 crore," it said in a release.

Rahul demands data, compensation

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has demanded that the government provide credible data on Covid deaths in the country and pay a compensation of R4 lakh each to families of those who lost their lives due to Coronavirus. Gandhi shared a video in which families, who lost their dear ones due to Covid in Gujarat, alleged that they did not receive timely help from the government. "The government will have to ease the pain of people and they should get compensation," he said on Twitter.

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