India saw new COVID-19 cases dipping further with 80,834 people testing positive in the last 24 hours, said the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. The daily positivity rate is at 4.25% and has been less than 10% for 20 consecutive days. This is the lowest number of fresh infections recorded in the country since 1 April. The cumulative tally now stands at 2,94,39,989. New fatalities saw significant decline too, with 3,303 more people succumbing to the disease. The cumulative death toll has reached 3,70,384. In addition to this, 1,32,062 more people were discharged after recuperating from the disease between Saturday and Sunday, outnumbering the new cases yet again. With this, the total number of recoveries has gone up to 2,80,43,446. The recovery rate has improved to 95.26%. As a result, the active tally has come down to 10,26,159, decreasing by 54,531 in the last 24 hours. The country has so far administered 25,31,95,048 anti-COVID jabs. Among these, 34,84,239 shots were given between Saturday and Sunday, according to the Health Ministry. The vaccination coverage in India crossed the 25-crore mark on Saturday. Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered more than 10 lakh beneficiaries of 18-44 years age group their first vaccine dose, the ministry said. With the dip in the number of infections, the states across India gradually open up after stringent lockdowns. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin Sunday announced more relaxations in 27 districts, which includes allowing tea shops to reopen from June 14. Barring 11 districts, seven in western and four in Cauvery delta regions respectively, the fresh relaxations would be applicable in the rest of 27 districts including Chennai and other nearby districts. The Assam government, on the other hand, asked all its employees who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine to join offices from Monday even as a partial lockdown across the state will continue be in force. Easing Delhi's COVID-19 lockdown even further, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that from Monday at 5 a.m. all restaurants in the national capital will be allowed to open at 50% seating capacity. All market complexes, malls in Delhi will now be allowed to open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. "After 5 a.m. tomorrow, all activities will be allowed except some activities that will be prohibited and some activities that will be done in a restricted manner. A detailed order will be issued," Kejriwal said. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council Saturday cut rates on COVID-related medicines, oxygen concentrators and testing kits, but kept the rate for vaccines unchanged at 5%. Meanwhile, calling for "global unity, leadership and solidarity", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasized the "special responsibility of democratic and transparent societies to prevent future pandemics". Addressing the G-7 outreach session via video conference, Modi also expressed India's commitment to support collective endeavors to improve global health governance. — Agencies
