India recorded 31,118 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total Covid caseload to over 94.62 lakh. The number of fresh infections is nearly 20 per cent lower than Monday's. 482 deaths in the last 24 hours have pushed the total death count to 1,37,621.
The number of active cases stands at 4,35,603, according to the data from the Union Health Ministry.
Over 88.89 people in the country have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic. India, which reported its first case on January 30, is the second worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States.
Meanwhile, the Oxford coronavirus vaccine is "safe and immunogenic", the Serum Institute of India has asserted today, battling a massive controversy over a trial volunteer in Chennai alleging adverse effects including "virtual neurological breakdown, memory loss and behavioral changes".
In a statement, the Adar Poonawalla-led Serum Institute also defended its legal notice to sue the volunteer, saying it was sent to "safeguard the reputation of the company which is being unfairly maligned."
The vaccine-maker, calling the volunteer's allegations "malicious and misconceived", is prepping to file a Rs 100 crore defamation suit. Some experts have expressed concern over what they see as an attempt to intimidate the trial participant.
