India recorded 2,539 new cases of the novel coronavirus, along with 60 deaths due to the infection in the past 24 hours. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Thursday (March 17), the country saw a total of 4,491 discharges in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery rate at around 98.72 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 4,24,54,546.
The total active cases of COVID-19 in India have declined to 30,799 (0.07 per cent) the ministry data showed today.
The total death toll in the country is now at 5,16,132. In India, the first death due to the COVID pandemic was reported in March 2020.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 78,12,24,304 samples have been tested up to March 16 for COVID-19. Of these 7,17,330 samples were tested on Wednesday. Meanwhile, over 2.6 Lakh children aged 12 to 14 years received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ‘Corbevax’ on the first day of the inoculation drive for this age group on Wednesday (March 16), the Union health ministry said.
The vaccination against COVID-19 in the age group of 12-14 years started on Wednesday as the country observed National Vaccination Day, with Biological E’s intramuscular vaccine Corbevax, two doses of which are to be administered 28 days apart. As of March 1, 2021, there were 4.7 crore children aged 12 and 13 years in the country. More than 2.15 crore (2,15,44,283) precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years.