New Delhi, Oct 25 (UNI) Shadow of Covid-19 loomed over festivals and trysts with the ballot, notching up 50,129 fresh cases in India during the past 24 hours, pushing the country's caseload to 78.64 lakh while the death toll soared to 1,18,534 with 578 new fatalities.
According to the per-day update of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, active cases saw a drop of 12,526 and stood at 6,68,154 which accounted for 8.50 per cent of the nation's total caseload.
Maharashtra witnessed 137 of the day's fatalities, Bengal 59, Chhattisgarh (55), Karnataka (52), Delhi (36) Tamil Nadu 35 and Kerala and Uttar Pradesh (25 each).
Frontline medics were able to save 62,077 more lives, taking the total recovery count to 70,78,123, which is exactly 90 per cent of the caseload. The fatality rate stood at 1.51 per cent.
As per Indian Council of Medical Research, 11,40,905 samples were tested on Friday, taking to 10,25,23,469 the total.
The World Health Organisation declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11 and at present, more than 42.9 million people have been infected all over the planet, with over 1.15 million fatalities.
Greeting people of the country on the occasion of Dussehra, Diwali and Eid over airwaves in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said people must celebrate festivals with precautions in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On this occasion, the PM saluted the nation's medical fraternity and the soldiers who guard the borders.
He also paid tributes to Indira Gandhi.
'On October 31, we lost former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. I respectfully offer tributes to her,' the PM said.
Mr Modi said, 'Several festivals have been lined up in the coming days but people of the country must celebrate them with precautions against coronavirus.
'Dussehera is also a festival of victory of patience over crisis. Today, all of you are living with great restraint, celebrating festivals with modesty. Therefore, in the Covid-19 battle, we are fighting, victory is certain.'
'This time, amid the enthusiasm of festival, when you go shopping make sure to remember your resolve of 'vocal for local.' When purchasing goods from market give priority to local products,' the PM added.
Elsewhere, US Vice-President Mike Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short has tested positive for the coronavirus, Pence’s spokesman Devin O’Malley said shortly after it was reported that the vice president’s political aide Marty Obst had tested positive.
O’Malley said on Saturday, as quoted by ABC News, that "in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines for essential personnel."
O’Malley said that both Pence and his wife Karen Pence tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday, while Marc Short and Marty Obst tested positive, according to ABC News. Since Short is a "close contact," Pence is now required, under CDC guidelines, to wear a facemask around people and to be closely monitored for any coronavirus symptoms.
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