Yahoo Finance COVID LIVE Updates: Centre caps vaccine prices for private hospitals; here’s how much they’ll cost now
India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus infections after a gap of 63 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.62 per cent. A single day rise of 86,498 cases were registered, the lowest in 66 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,89,96,473.
The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,51,309 with 2,123 daily deaths, the lowest in 47 days. The Centre is conducting a study to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2, or novel coronavirus, in the Ganga as corpses were found dumped in the river during the second COVID wave, and were fished out from districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The daily positivity rate has dropped to 4.62 per cent. It has been less than 10 per cent for 15 consecutive days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 26th consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,73,41,462 while the case fatality rate stands at 1.21 per cent.
The 2,123 new fatalities include 351 from Tamil Nadu, 340 each from Maharashtra and Karnataka, 211 from Kerala, and 103 from West Bengal. A total of 3,51,309 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,00,470 from Maharashtra, 31,920 from Karnataka, 27,356 from Tamil Nadu, 24,627 from Delhi, 21,333 from Uttar Pradesh, 16,362 from West Bengal, 15,160 from Punjab and 13,243 from Chhattisgarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the Centre will provide free coronavirus vaccines to states and union territories for inoculation of all above 18 from June 21.
In an address to the nation, Modi also announced that the Centre has decided to buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers, including 25 per cent of the state quota, and give it for free to state governments, while private sector hospitals can continue to procure the remaining 25 per cent but cannot charge more than Rs 150 per dose over the pre-fixed price.
The Congress sought to credit the Supreme Court for the change in the Centre's vaccination policy and said the announcement came after the apex court reprimanded it and sought an affidavit on the inoculation drive.
Some states had gone to the apex court against the Centre's vaccination policy alleging that it was not uniform.
RELATED READS:
India Must Lead Global Probe into Origins of the Virus & Its Cover-up
Asiatic Lioness Becomes First Animal To Die From COVID In India
FAQ: How Effective Are COVID Vaccines Against Delta Variant?
