India records over 100,000 single-day Covid recoveries for first time

FOR the first time India reported over 100,000 coronavirus recoveries in a single-day.

The country also registered its lowest daily tally of Covid-19 cases in almost a month on Tuesday (22) as it prepares for clinical trials of a potential Russian vaccine in the next few weeks.

According to the health ministry India reported 75,083 new cases in the last 24 hours, and 1,053 deaths over the same period.

There are 975,861 active coronavirus cases in the country, which make 17.54 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths in the country occurred due to comorbidities.

There have been 5.6 million cases in total in the country, second only behind the US. The total death toll stands at 88,935 people.

India's Covid-19 tally had crossed the 2 million mark on August 7, 3 million on August 23, 4 million on September 5 and it went past five million on September 16.

India is consistently reporting the highest tally of daily cases anywhere in the world as a dense population and often rudimentary healthcare infrastructure hamper attempts to control the pandemic.

On Tuesday Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said it could begin late-stage trials of a vaccine within the next few weeks.

Indian trials of the Sputnik-V vaccine candidate, being developed by Russia's sovereign wealth fund, will enroll 1,000-2,000 participants and be conducted at multiple government and private hospitals across the country, Deepak Sapra, CEO for API and pharmaceutical services at Dr. Reddy's, told Reuters.

"We want to get to the first step - which is the commencement of the clinical trials by getting the necessary approvals from the Indian regulators - within the next few weeks," Sapra said.

Following a three-month lockdown, prime minister Narendra Modi has given states more powers than ever to reopen shops, offices and public transport.