Coronavirus Live Updates: A huge spike of 22,771 new coronavirus patients was recorded in the last 24 hours, taking India's tally to 6,48,315 cases. A total of 18,655 patients have died since the beginning of the pandemic, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. The number of recoveries stands at 3,94,227. The recovery rate has improved to 60.80 per cent. There are 2,35,433 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country at present.
Maharashtra continues to remain the worst-hit state with over 1,92,990 infections. The death count due to the pandemic rose to 8,376 after 198 new deaths reported on Friday, a health department statement said.
The first made-in-India coronavirus vaccine may be launched by August 15, with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) fast-tracking efforts to develop "Covaxin" in partnership with Bharat Biotech International Limited. A dozen institutes have been selected for clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine), the government's top medical research body has said.
Worldwide, scientists are racing to produce a vaccine for the deadly virus that has infected over 10 million, including 600,000 in India, and caused more than 500,000 deaths.
