Active Covid cases dip below 4 lakh

New Delhi: India logged 31,222 fresh cases of Coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,30,58,843, while the active cases were recorded below four lakh, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The death toll has climbed to 4,41,042 with 290 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The active cases have declined to 3,92,864 comprising 1.19 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.48 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 12,010 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 15,26,056 tests were conducted on Monday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 53,31,89,348.

The daily positivity rate was recorded as 2.05 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last eight days while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.56 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 74 days, the ministry said.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 70 crore, with the last 10 crore doses being given in just 13 days, the fastest so far, the Union Health ministry said on Tuesday.

More than 67 lakh (67,43,698) doses have been administered till 7 pm, it said. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of final reports for the day by late night.

The Coronavirus has to be defeated and vaccination is the way to victory, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, while congratulating the country and healthcare workers for achieving the 70-crore landmark.

"Soaring higher on COVID-19 vaccination under PM (Prime Minister) @NarendraModi ji's leadership. 70,00,00,000 vaccine doses administered to date," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said the ICMR should look into the complaints received against private pathology laboratories and revoke licenses in case of breach of conditions.

It is the ICMR that gives licenses to the labs and it cannot be sitting in ivory towers, the high court said.

"You have to look into it. You give licenses to them. The whole year has gone by. The whole nation is suffering. The whole NCR is suffering," Justice Najmi Waziri said.

The high court was hearing a plea seeking contempt action against the authorities for not adhering to the Delhi High Court's earlier direction to take action against online health service aggregators which are operating illegally and collecting samples for COVID-19 tests.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said monitoring of the activities of online health service aggregators does not come under its purview.

Advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, representing petitioner Dr Rohit Jain, argued that common people are dying and the ICMR is setting guidelines but says that the issue does not pertain to the research body.

To this, the Central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, appearing for ICMR, responded that they have only said they are not monitoring online health aggregators.

He also said that whenever they receive complaints against private labs, they look into it and take action.

The court, which heard arguments for some time, listed the matter for further proceedings on September 14.