New Delhi: India reports 36,571 new COVID-19 cases in the preceding 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry briefed on Friday (August 20, 2021). The country also recorded 36,555 improvements in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery tatall to 3,15,61,635. Additionally, the country also detailed 540 deaths on Friday, taking the mortality toll to 4,33,589.
The number of dynamic cases has declined to 3,63,605 which is the lowest in 150 days. The improvement rate is at 97.54% which is the maximum since March 2020. The daily positivity rate is at 1.94% while the weekly positivity rate is at 1.94% lower than 3% for the last 56 days, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As reported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 50,26,99,702 units have been probed as of August 19 for COVID-19. Of these 18,86,271 units were tested on Thursday.
Amid, on Thursday, a study held by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in Chennai has detected that the Delta variant of the coronavirus has the potential to contaminate both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Thus, the findings also disclosed that vaccination curbs the chances of mortality.
Additionally, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday asserted that COVID-19 vaccines for children will likely be initiated in India “very soon”.
“The Indian government has already endorsed Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech to perform research for promoting a COVID-19 vaccine for children. We are expecting that the aftermath of their research will arrive next month. I am confident that inoculations for children would materialize shortly,” Mandaviya told reporters.