New Delhi [India], June 18 (HornbillTV): COVID-19 cases in India crossed the 13,000-mark for the first time after more than three months, with the country reporting 13,216 fresh infections in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data.

After a gap of three months, the country witnessed an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases as the country has been crossing the 12,000- mark for the past two days. India logged 12,213 cases on June 16, followed by 12,847 cases on June 17.

On February 26 this year, India recorded 11,499 COVID-19 cases.

The government data today informed that as many as 8,148 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours thereby increasing the total recoveries to 4,26,90,845. The recovery rate currently stands at 98.63 percent.

At present, the daily positivity rate stands at 2.73 percent while the weekly positivity rate is 2.47 percent. The death toll increased to 5,24,840 with 23 fresh fatalities.

Under the nationwide vaccination program, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 196 crore (1,96,00,42,768) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,52,66,330 sessions.

So far, more than 3.56 crore (3,56,40,133) adolescents have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

More than 193.53 crores (1,93,53,58,865) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far, out of which, over 12.89 crores (12,89,73,380) balance and unutilized vaccine doses are still available with them.

Amid the recent surge reported in COVID-19 cases across the country, the Health Ministry of India on June 9 urged States and Union Territories to not lower their guards and strictly maintain the COVID appropriate behaviour. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on June 16 wrote a letter to States/UTs and directed them to ramp up RT-PCR testing, surveillance, clinical management, vaccination, COVID-19 protocols and take timely pre-emptive actions. Bhushan also advised the government to follow a ‘five-fold Strategy’.