Second wave of Covid-19 not over yet, cannot lower guard: Govt

The government on Friday stressed on vaccination and following COVID-19 protocols as it noted that the second wave of the pandemic is not over yet.

Addressing a press conference on the pandemic situation, an official said people cannot and should not lower their guard.

Seventy-one districts reported Covid case positivity rate of more than 10 per cent in the week from June 23 to 29, the government said, adding that the second wave of COVID-19 is not over.

On the ongoing vaccination drive, the government said India is vaccinating on an average 50 lakh individuals daily since June 21, which is equivalent to inoculating the entire population of Norway every day.

Till date 34 crore people -- the equivalent of the entire population of the US -- have been vaccinated with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine since the drive began on January 16, the government said.

Nearly 80 per cent healthcare workers and 90 per cent frontline workers have been administered both doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the country, it said.

India saw a single-day rise of 46,617 new coronavirus infections, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,04,58,251, while the national recovery rate has crossed 97 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,00,312 with 853 daily fatalities.