Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The number of COVID tests conducted across the country crossed 23 cr0re on March 18, 2021. Altogether 23,03,13,163 have been conducted as on date. The cumulative national Positivity Rate continues to remain less than 5.00%. It stands at 4.98% on March 18, 2021 India’s tests per day per million population are more than 140 and the daily positivity rate is 3.37%, as of March 18.
On the other hand, India is fast approaching total vaccination coverage of 4 crore. A total of 3,71,43,255 vaccine doses had been administered through 6,15,267 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am on March 18, 2021. They include 75,68,844 HCWs (1st dose), 46,32,940 HCWs (2nd dose), 77,16,084 FLWs (1st dose) and 19,09,528 FLWs (2nd Dose), 24,57,179 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1st Dose),and 1,28,58,680 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years, according to a PIB release.
More than 20 lakh (20,78,719) vaccine doses were administered on day-61 of the vaccination drive on March 17, 2021. Of the total, 17,38,750 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 28,412 sessions for 1st dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 3,39,969 HCWs and FLWs received 2nd dose of vaccine. India’s total Active Caseload reached 2,52,364 on March 18, 2021, comprising 2.20% of the total Positive Cases, an increase of 17,958 cases in the last 24 hours.
Five States of Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu continue to report a surge in the COVID daily new cases. 79.54% of the new cases are from these five states. 35,871 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 16,620 (accounting for 63.21% of the daily new cases). It is followed by Kerala with 1,792 while Punjab reported 1,492 new cases.
A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states. They are : Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Haryana. Kerala is reporting a consistently declining trend over last one month.
India’s cumulative recoveries were 1,10,63,025 on March 18, 2021. The national Recovery Rate is 96.41%. 17,741 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours. A total of 172 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Five States account for 84.88%of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (84). Punjab follows with 35 daily deaths and Kerala reported 13 deaths in the last 24 hours. The Case Fatality Rate remains below 1.5% (1.39%) and is continuously declining.
Eighteen States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 death in the last 24 hours. They are : Rajasthan, Assam, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Ladakh (UT), Manipur, D&N & D&N, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, A&N Islands,and Arunachal Pradesh.