Kozhikode: Health workers collect swab samples from corporation employees for Covid-19 tests.
Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that the second wave of the COVID-19 disease has not subsided yet even as cases are declining. The ministry also asked people to follow coronavirus preventive measures to protect themselves.
Keeping in mind the festive season ahead, the ministry urged people to avoid mass gatherings in containment zones and in districts with over 5 per cent positivity rate.
During the presser, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "For the 12th consecutive week, weekly positivity rate continues to decline and is less than 3%...Recovery rate 97.8% in the country."
"66% of the 18+ population has received at least one dose of COVID vaccines; 23% of the 18+ population received both doses. We have been able to achieve this due to tremendous work by some states," Rajesh Bhushan said.
Six states and Union Territories (UTs) have covered 100 per cent of the first doses to their population. These are Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Sikkim, he said.
Four states and UTs have more than 90 per cent coverage of the first dose - these are Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Kerala, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand, he informed.
In the last 24 hours, India has reported around 31,000 cases odd cases and most of these infections have been found in two states of Kerala and Maharashtra, the Health Ministry said.
"However, absolute numbers have gone down. 62.73% of the total cases in the last week have been reported from Kerala," it added.
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