Active cases in country stand at 2,13,603, according to the Health Ministry. (File)
New Delhi:
India added 16,946 fresh Covid cases taking its tally to 1.05 crore cases, the Health Ministry data this morning showed. The number of fresh infections is six per cent higher than Wednesday, when the country registered 15,978 cases. Active cases in country stand at 2,13,603 while 1,01,46,763 people have recovered from the disease, it said.
In the 24-hour period, India, reported 198 deaths linked to the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 1,51,727.
On Saturday, India will begin a mass inoculation drive in which vaccine shots will be offered to 1.3 billion people in what officials say will be the ‘world’s biggest vaccination programme’.
The government has procured 1.1 crore doses of Covishield produced by Serum Institute and 55 lakh doses of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine. Both these vaccines were approved by the country’s drug regulator for restricted emergency use earlier this month.
Around 3 lakh healthcare workers will be inoculated at 2,934 sites across the country on the first day of the massive nationwide drive, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
Each vaccination session will cater to a maximum of 100 beneficiaries and the Union Health Ministry has advised states not to organise “unreasonable numbers of vaccination per site per day”.
