States, UTs have stock of more than 1.57 crore COVID-19 vaccines: Centre

New Delhi: More than 1.57 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with states and UTs to be administered, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

The Centre has so far provided, both through the free of cost and through direct state procurement categories, more than 23 crore vaccine doses to states and UTs.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastages, is 21,51,48,659 doses, the ministry said.

"More than 1.57 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses (1,57,74,331) are still available with the states and UTs to be administered," it said.

As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Centre has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them vaccines free of cost. In addition, it has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the states and UTs.

Meanwhile, India reported 1,27,510 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 54 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 6.62 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

With the fresh cases, India's tally of coronavirus cases rose to 2,81,75,044.

The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,31,895 with 2,795 fresh fatalities, the lowest reported in 35 days, and the active cases were recorded below 20 lakh after 43 days, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Also, 19,25,374 tests were conducted on Monday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 34,67,92,257.

The daily positivity was recorded at 6.62 per cent . It has been less than 10 per cent for eight consecutive days, the ministry said. The weekly positivity rate has declined to 8.64 per cent.

The active cases were recorded below 20 lakh after 43 days. They have reduced to 18,95,520 comprising 6.73 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 92.09 per cent.

A net decline of 1,30,572 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for 19 successive days. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,59,47,629, while the case fatality rate has increased to 1.18 per cent, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4.