India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate falls below 1.50 per cent

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India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate (CFR) fell below 1.5 per cent on Saturday, the Union health ministry said, crediting the Centre-led strategy of ‘test, trace, track and treat’ for keeping coronavirus-related deaths low and within manageable numbers.

Deaths per million population in the country stand at a very low level of 88, it said. The ministry said 23 states and union territories in the country have a CFR lower than the national average, while 65 per cent of the total deaths so far were recorded in five states.

A total 551 deaths were reported the previous day, according to the ministry. There is a steady and consistent decline in the number of daily deaths, the ministry said in a statement.

“On a progressive decline, the CFR has dropped to 1.49 per cent as on date. Also, 23 states and UTs have CFR lower than the national average,” it said.

The Centre-led strategy of ‘test, trace, track and treat’ has focused on effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardised clinical management protocols based on a comprehensive Standard of Care approach which includes use of anticoagulants and non-invasive oxygen, the statement said.

The effective implementation of the strategy by state and UT governments has resulted in early identification, prompt isolation and timely clinical management of hospitalised cases, it said. “These have ensured that India’s COVID mortality is kept low and within manageable numbers,” it added.

The ministry said 65 per cent of the total deaths were recorded in five States — Maharashtra (36.04 pc), Karnataka (9.16 pc), Tamil Nadu (9.12 pc), Uttar Pradesh (5.76 pc) and West Bengal (5.58 pc).

Ten states and UTs — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh — account for 85 per cent of the total deaths, it said.

Six states and UTs registered cumulative deaths below 100, whereas eight states and UTs registered deaths below 1,000, it added. Sixteen states and UTs have recorded deaths below 10,000. India added 59,454 new recoveries the previous day, while 48,268 new infections were reported.

The total number of recoveries has crossed the 74-lakh mark (7,432,829). “Higher number of single-day recoveries is also reflected in the continuous increase in the national recovery rate, which is at present 91.34 per cent,” the ministry underscored.

“India continues to report a trend of steadily decreasing active cases. Presently, the active cases comprise merely 7.16 per cent of the total positive cases of the country, standing at 5,82,649,” it said.

Active cases in the country remained below 6 lakh for the second consecutive day on Saturday. Seventy-nine per cent of the recovered cases are concentrated in 10 states and UTs, according to the ministry.

“Karnataka and Maharashtra have contributed the maximum to the single-day recoveries with more than 8,000 cases, followed by Kerala with more than 7,000 cases,” the ministry said. Of the 48,268 new infections registered the previous day, 78 per cent are from 10 states and UTs, it said.

Kerala and Maharashtra have added the maximum to the new confirmed cases with more than 6,000 cases each, followed by Delhi with more than 5,000 cases, it added. Also, 551 case fatalities were reported the previous day. Of these, nearly 83 per cent are concentrated in 10 states and UTs.

More than 23 per cent of new fatalities were from Maharashtra (127 deaths). India’s COVID-19 caseload stands at 81,37,119, while the death toll has risen to 1,21,641, ministry data updated at 8 am showed.