Coronavirus recoveries cross 50,000-per-day mark for first time in India

• This is the fourth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000
• Total recoveries surged to 11.45 lakh

India’s total coronavirus cases rose to 17,50,724 today, an record single-day increase of 54,736 cases, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The recoveries surged to 11,45,629, including 51,255 in past 24 hours. The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 37,364 with 853 people succumbing to the disease in a 24-hour span.

At present, there are 5,67,730 active cases in the country. The recovery rate stood at 64.53% while the fatality rate at 2.15%.

This is the fourth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 1,98,21,831 samples have been tested up to August 1 with 4,63,172 being tested on Saturday.

Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus, the total number of coronavirus cases globally has crossed 1.77 crore while 6.84 lakh have died of the infection.

The US, the worst affected country, reported over 1,000 deaths for a fifth consecutive day.

“WHO continues to assess the global risk level of COVID-19 to be very high,” it said in its latest statement.

The pandemic has spurred a race for a coronavirus vaccine with many candidates in late stage trial.

In India, two indigenously developed vaccine candidates are undergoing trials. Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine maker, has signed an agreement to manufacture a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by Jenner Institute of Oxford University in collaboration with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca.