India records lowest Covid-19 cases since February

New Delhi, Oct 26 (EFE).- India recorded 12,428 Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours on Tuesday, marking the lowest daily caseload since mid-February, and after the country became the epicenter of the pandemic in May.

With this latest infection count, the lowest in almost eight months, the total number of cases in India has reached 34.2 million since the start of the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Health.

India, with 1.35 billion people, also reported 356 coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 455,068.

India is the second most affected country by the pandemic in terms of total cases, just behind the United States, which according to Johns Hopkins University already has 45.5 million infections, while Brazil ranks third with 21.7 million cases.

The current data is in stark contrast to the more than 400,000 cases and more than 4,500 deaths per day recorded in May, when a virulent second wave had left crematoriums overflooded with bodies and hospitals on the verge of collapse.

For weeks, India had to rely on help from other countries to meet its shortage of oxygen and medical supplies during that time.

Despite the recent decline in cases, the Indian authorities have been concerned about forthcoming festive season across the country, including the popular festival of lights or Diwali, which could trigger a third wave of infections.

As for the vaccination campaign, considered by the Indian authorities as key to eradicating this pandemic, the country has already administered 1.03 million vaccines since it kicked off in January.

Some 1.8 million people were administered jabs in the last 24 hours, but only 310 million people so far have received both doses. EFE

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