ICMR Chief Balram Bhargava tests COVID-19 positive, admitted to AIIMS

Dr Balaram Bhargava is the chief of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Chief Dr Balaram Bhargava tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. As per latest reports, he has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital.

All matter pertaining to the coronavirus is under his supervision. This comes as India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 99.79 lakh with 22,890 new infections being reported in a day.

The total recoveries crossed the 95 lakh-mark, according to the Union Health Ministry's data updated on Friday. With 338 more fatalities, the death toll reached 1,44,789, while the total COVID-19 cases mounted to 99,79,447, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 95,20,827, pushing the national recovery rate to 95.40 per cent. The COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below four lakh for the 12th consecutive day.

There are 3,13,831 active cases in the country which comprise 3.14 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, and surpassed 90 lakh on November 20.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 15,89,18,646 samples have been tested so far with 11,13,406 samples being tested on Thursday. The 338 new fatalities include 65 from Maharashtra, 44 from West Bengal, 35 from Delhi and 27 from Kerala.
Total 1,44,789 deaths reported so far in the country include 48,499 from Maharashtra followed by 11,981 from Karnataka, 11,942 from Tamil Nadu, 10,182 from Delhi, 9,235 from West Bengal, 8,136 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,069 from Andhra Pradesh and 5,150 from Punjab.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "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.