India reports 2,119 fresh cases in last 24 hours, active cases come down to 25,037

India recorded 2,119 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Friday (October 21), the total recovery rate reached at around 98.76 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 4,40,84,646.

A decrease of total 473 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, the ministry said.  The total death toll in the country is now at 5,28,953. In India, the first death due to the COVID pandemic was reported in March 2020.

The daily positivity rate on October 21 was recorded 1.13 per cent. Delhi recorded 118 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 1.77 per cent on Thursday, according to data shared by the health department. No Covid-related fatality was reported in the city.

With these new cases, the capital’s infection tally has climbed to 20,05,329 while the death toll stands at 26,506, the department said in its latest bulletin. The new cases were detected from 6,652 tests conducted the previous day, it said. Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Thursday issued an order withdrawing the Rs 500 fine for not wearing masks in public places in the national capital.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had in a meeting last month decided to stop levying the penalty after September 30, amid a decline in Covid cases. Experts said that people, especially those in the vulnerable category like pregnant women and the elderly, should continue to wear masks in crowded areas.

Doctors at leading government and private hospitals in the city concurred that people should exercise “extra caution” because though cases in Delhi are on the lower side, a new variant of the coronavirus is being reported which is very transmissible. Delhi recorded 107 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 1.64 per cent on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the national capital had logged 141 new cases with a positivity rate of 2.04 per cent, while 61 cases with a positivity rate of 3.61 per cent was reported on Monday.