India logged 25,404 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, which is 6.7 per cent lower than yesterday's cases (27,254). 

The country also reported 339 deaths, which is a marked increase from yesterday's 219 deaths.

Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus in India:

The test positivity rate - number of positive cases identified per 100 - stands at 1.78 per cent.

At 15,058, Kerala leads the states with most number of daily cases but for the first time in many days, daily cases are below the 20,000-mark. The state today reported 99 deaths, which is an increase over yesterday's 67 deaths.

Tamil Nadu with 1,580 Covid cases, Andhra Pradesh (864) and Karnataka (673) were other southern states with most cases in a day. Telangana reported 315 cases.

Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in terms of overall Covid cases, reported 2,740 new cases in a day. It also reported 27 deaths.

Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar - the four big states - reported zero Covid deaths. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand also reported zero Covid deaths.

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, reported eight new cases, while in neighbouring Delhi, the national capital, there were 17 new cases. Both states reported zero Covid deaths.

Mizoram with 1502 Covid cases leads the northeastern states in most number of new cases in a day. The state reported three Covid deaths.

The World Health Organization's approval for the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, is likely to come this month, news agency PTI said quoting official sources.

The battle against Covid will require a studied combination of vaccines, effective drugs, and disciplined social behaviour, according to Dr VK Paul, a member of NITI Aayog, India's public policy think-tank. "Wearing the mask will not go away...for some time...We will continue to wear the mask even through the next year..." Dr Paul told NDTV in an exclusive interview on Monday. 

More than 75 crores of Covid vaccine doses have been delivered since the launch of the nationwide drive in January this year, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said Monday. At this rate, up to 43 per cent of the country's population will be covered by December.

Source: NDTV

BDST: 1327 HRS, SEP 14, 2021
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