India’s Covid tally reaches 1.09 crore with 12,881 new cases

India’s coronavirus tally rose to above 1.09 crore after the country reported 12,881 new virus cases on Thursday, while the recoveries surged to 1,06,56,845, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

In the last 24 hours, 11,987 people were discharged from hospitals, while 101 succumbed to the contagious virus, the ministry said.

The total Covid-19 cases mounted to 1,09,50,201, while the death toll increased to 1,56,014.

According to the health ministry, as many as 94,22,228 have been administered the coronavirus vaccine under the Covid mega vaccination drive in India.

The coronavirus active caseload in the country remained below 1.5 lakh.

There are 1,37,342 active coronavirus infections in the country, the data stated.

Meanwhile, preliminary research has showed that the two Covid-19 vaccines approved in India are effective against the UK variant of the novel coronavirus. However, there is no data on their efficacy against the South African and Brazilian mutants detected in the country.

The health ministry on Tuesday said four people were detected with the South Africa variant of SARS-CoV-2 and one tested positive for the Brazil variant, a first for India, prompting scientists to stress the need for more data and studies so the country’s vaccine programme can be tailored to evolving exigencies.