With 11,666 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India on Thursday continued its streak of low single-day cases, health officials said. For the past 21 days, the country has been recording less than 20,000 daily new infections. Also, the death toll remained below 300-mark for the past 31 days.

On January 19, India had reported 10,064 new cases, the lowest so far this year. And, last year the lowest was recorded on June 3 with 9,633 cases.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday said there were 123 fresh deaths taking the overall toll to 1,53,847.

As per the ministry's data, 1,03,73,606 people have recovered so far and currently, there are 1,73,740 active cases.

The recovery rate stands at 96.94 per cent, while the fatality rate at 1.62 per cent.

About 80 per cent of the daily new cases are reported from eight states -- Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

The nationwide immunisation drive began across the country on January 16 after the approval of two Covid vaccines in the country. As many as 23,55,979 beneficiaries have received the first dose of Covid vaccine in the first phase so far.

The government has issued new guidelines to say that all activities have been permitted outside the Containment Zones. Social/ religious/sports/entertainment/educational/ cultural/religious gatherings have already been permitted up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground/space in view, in open spaces. Now bigger gatherings will be allowed subject to protocols of individual states and union territories. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order which will be effective from February 1, 2021 and will remain in force till February 28. "The main focus of the guidelines is to consolidate the substantial gains that have been achieved against the spread of COVID-19 which is visible in the steady decline in number of active and new cases in the country over the last four months. It is, therefore, emphasised that to fully overcome the pandemic, there is need to maintain caution and to strictly follow the prescribed containment strategy focused on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines," said the guidelines.

The guidelines say that cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted up to 50 per cent of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Business to Business (B2B) exhibition halls have already been permitted. Now all types of exhibition halls will be permitted, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Department of Commerce in consultation with the MHA.

There will be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries. No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements.

Persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years have been advised to take the necessary precautions.

(IANS)