India Records 44,230 Fresh Infection; Kerala and Northeastern States Witness Steady Rise in R-Factor

New Delhi: India recorded 44,230 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry reported. The recovery rate at 97.38 percent accounted for 42,360 recuperations in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 3,07,43,972. The daily positivity rate stood at 2.44  per cent, less than 5 per cent.

The active caseload stands at 4,05,155 accounting for 1.28 per cent of the total number of cases. 1,315 active cases were reported in the last 24 hours. However, the mortality rate recorded at 1.34 per cent reported 555 fatalities, taking the cumulative death toll to 4, 22,217. 

The R-factor, which indicates the speed at which COVID-19 infection is spreading in the country, is climbing steadily with Kerala and the Northeastern states occupying top spots and fuelling worries about the pandemic rearing its head again.

More than 37 per cent of India’s active cases are in Kerala, according to government sources. The spike in infections in the state has forced the Centre to send a team for effective COVID-19 management there.

 Neighbouring Karnataka on Thursday recorded a steep spike in Covid cases. The southern state reported 685 active infections. At least 505 cases were reported from state capital Bengaluru.