Covid active caseload decreases to 3.6 mn; positivity rate at 16.98%: Govt

India's Covid-19 active cases count has decreased to 36,18,458 with a net decline of 55,344 cases being recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours, says Health Ministry

India's COVID-19 active cases count has decreased to 36,18,458 with a net decline of 55,344 cases being recorded in the active caseload in a span of 24 hours, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 16.98 per cent, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.

The total active caseload now comprises 14.66 per cent of the country's total infections, it said.

Ten states--Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh--cumulatively account for 74.69 per cent of the country's total active cases, the ministry said.

A declining trend in the positivity rate is also observed which has dropped to 16.98 per cent (May 16) from 24.47 per cent recorded on May 3, it said.

India's cumulative recoveries have reached 2,07,95,335 with 3,62,437 patients recuperating in a span of 24 hours. It outnumbers the country's daily COVID-19 cases for the fifth time in the last six days, the ministry said.

Ten states account for 70.94 per cent of the new recoveries.

The ministry noted that Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Haryana reported 74.7 per cent of the 3,11,170 new cases registered in a span of 24 hours.

Karnataka has reported the highest daily new cases at 41,664 followed by Maharashtra with 34,848 cases and Tamil Nadu with 33,658 new cases.

The national mortality rate currently stands at 1.09 per cent.

A total of 4,077 deaths were reported in a day in the country, the ministry said.

Ten states/UTs, namely, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Haryana, account for 75.55 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (960). Karnataka follows with 349 daily deaths.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 18.22 crore on Sunday under phase 3 of the nationwide vaccination drive.

A total of 18,22,20,164 vaccine doses have been administered through 26,55,003 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am on Sunday.

These include 96,42,278 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose and 66,41,047 HCWs who have taken the second dose; 1,44,25,044 FLWs who have received the first dose and 81,86,568 FLWs who have taken the second dose; and 48,25,799 beneficiaries in the 18-44 years age group who have received the first dose.

Besides, 5,71,61,076 and 90,66,862 beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years have been administered the first and second doses, respectively, while 5,44,69,599 and 1,78,01,891 beneficiaries more than 60 years old have taken the first and second dose.

The health ministry said 10 states--Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra--account for 66.76 per cent of the cumulative doses given so far in the country.

A total of 5,62,130 beneficiaries in the age group of 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine in the last 24 hours and cumulatively 48,25,799 people across 32 states and UTs got the jabs since the start of the phase 3 of vaccination drive.

More than 17 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours. As on Day-120 of the vaccination drive (May 15), 17,33,232 vaccine doses were given. Across 16,027 sessions, 11,30,928 beneficiaries were vaccinated for first dose and 6,02,304 beneficiaries received their second dose of the vaccine, the ministry added.