The active coronavirus cases in India dropped below the 8-lakh mark for the first time in over one month, the Health Ministry said on October 17.
- The country's COVID tally surged to 74.3 lakh after 62,212 fresh cases of coronavirus were recorded in the last 24 hours.
- The total number of active cases dropped to 7.95 lakh today as 70,816 patients recovered from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.
- According to government data, the active caseload is now only 10.70 per cent of the tally. "This significant achievement is the outcome of central government-led targeted strategies leading to high number of recoveries and steadily falling number of fatalities," the Health Ministry has said.
- The daily surge in India has come down from 80,000-90,000 fresh daily cases in mid-September to about 70,000 in the past week.
- About 65.2 lakh patients have recovered from COVID-19 so far and 1,12,998 succumbed to the deadly virus; of which 837 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
- The country's average recovery rate is 87.8 per cent and death rate stands at 1.5 per cent.
- Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have been reporting a steady rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases.
- The average positivity rate stood at 6 per cent as almost 10 lakh tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. A total of 9.3 crore tests have been done in India since the pandemic's outbreak at the beginning of this year.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged for continued vigilance and preparedness against coronavirus as experts have warned of a possible rise in infections in the winter months.
- According to government data, 79 per cent fresh cases, 78 per cent recoveries and 82 per cent deaths were concentrated in some states and union territories.