India records 92,596 new COVID-19 cases, 2,219 deaths in last 24 hours

With this, India`s total coronavirus caseload has increased to 2.90 crore and the death toll has mounted to 3.53 lakh.

New Delhi: India recorded 92,596 new COVID-19 cases and 2,219 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed on Wednesday (June 9, 2021).

With this, India's total coronavirus caseload has increased to 2,90,89,069, of which, 3,53,528 have succumbed to the virus, while 12,31,415 are active cases.

The weekly positivity rate currently stands at 5.66%, whereas, the daily positivity rate is at 4.66%. The country also witnessed 1,62,664 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, which took the total number of COVID-19 recoveries in India to 2.75 crores. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, said that if we have to stop subsequent waves, we need to aggressively follow COVID appropriate behaviour until we can say that a significant number of India's population is vaccinated or has acquired natural immunity. 

"When enough people are vaccinated or when we acquire natural immunity against the infection, then these waves will stop. The only way out is to strictly follow COVID appropriate behaviour," Dr Guleria said.

He also stated that it is a piece of misinformation that subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic are going to cause severe illness in children. 

"There is no data - either from India or globally - to show that children will be seriously infected in subsequent waves," Dr Guleria said.

He cited that 60% to 70% of the children who got infected and got admitted in hospitals during the second wave in India, had either comorbidities or low immunity and that healthy children recovered with mild illness without need for hospitalization.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across the country has increased to 23,90,58,360. 

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday said that they have placed an order with Serum Institute of India for 25 crore doses of Covishield and with Bharat Biotech for 19 crore doses of Covaxin.

They stated that these 44 crore doses will be available till December 2021, starting now.

"Additionally, 30% of the advance for procurement of both the Covid Vaccines has been released to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech," the Union Health Ministry added.