India reports 18,855 new COVID-19 cases

New Delhi [India], January 29 (ANI): India reported 18,855 new COVID-19 cases, 20,746 discharges and 163 deaths in last 24 hours, as per Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Friday.
With that, the total COVID-19 cases in the country has mounted to 1,07,20,048 including 1,71,686 active cases and 1,03,94,352 total discharges.
The total death toll of COVID-19 has risen to 1,54,010 including the new deaths in the last 24 hours.
A total of 29,28,053 healthcare and frontline workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in its first phase.
Union Health Ministry has approved two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, under Emergency Use Authorisation (EAU).
"A total of 19,50,81,079 samples were tested for COVID-19 up to January 28. Of these, 7,42,306 samples were tested yesterday," Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) informed today.
"78 per cent of the active cases are concentrated in five states viz. Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal," stated the press release by the health ministry on Thursday.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Thursday had informed that Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has the highest recovery rate of 99.79 per cent followed by Arunachal Pradesh (99.58 per cent) and Odisha (99.07 per cent) while Kerala has a recovery rate of 91.61 per cent because of its present high active caseload. (ANI)