Daily cases inch closer to 30,000, deaths near 200

A health worker conducts COVID-19 testing of a passenger at KSRTC bus stand in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

Daily new tally in the country inched closer to 30,000 new cases and 200 fresh deaths. India recorded this year's highest new cases at 28,903, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 am on Wednesday. As many as 30,254 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 13.

The death toll increased to 1,59,044 with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months. The total active caseload has increased to 2,34,406 that now comprises 2.05 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.56 per cent, the data stated. Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu continue to report a high number of daily cases, the ministry said.

‘Give free vaccines to poor'
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati called for providing vaccine to the poor free of charge, ahead of a meeting between the prime minister and chief ministers on the pandemic situation and the ongoing inoculation drive on Wednesday. In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said that if the coronavirus vaccination is expedited by the central and state governments as a national policy, it would be better. "The BSP once again appeals to the Centre and state governments to make the vaccine free for families of poor," she said in another tweet.

Roopa Devi, 107, flashes the victory sign after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a Bikaner hospital on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

Punjab CM seeks occupation-based immunisation
Amid rising cases in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Centre to review its COVID-19 immunisation strategy. During a virtual interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chief ministers over the pandemic situation and the ongoing vaccination drive, Singh sought occupation-based immunisation. He called for inoculation of school and college students and teachers, judges, bus drivers and conductors, panches and sarpanches, mayors, municipal committee presidents, councillors, MLAs and MPs to pave the way for normalisation of crucial activities and to check COVID-19 super-spreaders. During the interaction, Modi expressed concern over the rise in cases and called for "quick and decisive" steps to check the "emerging second peak".

‘India's vaccine wastage is at 6.5%'
The average of COVID-19 vaccine wastage in India is 6.5 per cent, with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh recording 17.6 and 11.6 per cent wastage, respectively, the Centre said on Wednesday as it called for optimal utilisation of the shots. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said COVID-19 vaccine wastage in five states - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir - is higher than the national average of 6.5 per cent.

1,14,38,734
Total number of cases in the country as of today

1,59,044
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

1,10,45,284
Patients recovered and discharged in India as of today

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