India's active COVID-19 caseload below 7 lakh for first time after 2 months: Health Ministry

New Delhi: India has reached a significant milestone in its fight against COVID as the active caseload of the country has fallen below 7 lakh for the first time after two months (63 days), while the total recoveries have crossed 69 lakhs, the Ministry of Health said on Friday. 

The active caseload was below the 7 lakh mark (6,97,330) last on 22nd August, according to an official release. The total positive cases of the country today are 6,95,509. They comprise merely 8.96 per cent of the total cases.

With a high number of COVID-19 patients recovering every day along with a steadily falling and sustained low mortality rate, India`s trend of registering decreasing active cases continues. India is also reporting a high number of recoveries, according to the Health Ministry. 

''The total recovered cases are nearly 70 lakhs (69,48,497). The difference between active cases and recovered cases is also consistently increasing and stands at 62,52,988 today. The recovered cases are nearly 10 times more than the active cases.73,979 patients have recovered and discharged in the last 24 hours whereas the new confirmed cases are 54,366,'' the Health Ministry said. 

The national Recovery Rate has further progressed to 89.53 per cent, it added.

Enhanced countrywide medical infrastructure, implementation of the Centre`s Standard Treatment Protocol by the States/Union Territories (UTs), and total dedication and commitment of doctors, paramedics and frontline workers have led to a persistent increase in the number of total recoveries with a commensurate dip in the fatality rate. 

Today it stands at 1.51 per cent. These have together resulted in a consistent slide in active cases.81 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 States/UTs. 

Maharashtra has contributed more than 16,000 to the single-day recoveries followed by Karnataka with more than 13,000 recoveries. As many as, 54,366 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours.

78 per cent of these are from 10 States and UTs. Maharashtra and Kerala contribute maximum to the new cases with more than 7,000 cases followed by Karnataka with more than 5,000 cases.

As many as 690 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours. Of these, nearly 81 per cent are concentrated in ten States/UTs. Maharashtra has reported the maximum single-day deaths (198 deaths). 

(With additional ANI inputs)