According to government data, 71% of India’s adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 27% have received both doses. The cumulative number of vaccine shots administered in the country surpassed 93 crore on Thursday.

The country recorded 22,431 fresh COVID infections and 318 deaths in a span of 24 hours, ending at 8 am on Thursday. Active cases in the country stood at 2,44,198. Kerala registered the highest number of new cases in the country with a figure of 2,616. 

The government said that preparations have been made to handle up to 5 lakh cases a day, but emphasized at the same time that it does not mean that such high case numbers will be reported in the future. Talking about the preparations for a possible surge in the country, NITI Aayog member (health) V K Paul said that data from states indicates that 8.36 lakh hospital beds are available for COVID-19 patients and 9,69,885 additional isolation beds are available in dedicated COVID care centers… (The Indian Express, October 8, 2021)