Coronavirus live updates: India recorded 18,870 new cases of Covid-19 and 378 deaths in 24 hours, said the health ministry on Wednesday. Total Covid-19 cases increased to 33.72 million and deaths reached 447,751.

The recovery rate in Covid cases is 97.83 per cent—the highest since March 2021. The number of active cases, 282,520, is the lowest in 194 days, said the ministry.

India’s drug regulator on Tuesday allowed vaccine maker Serum Institute to enrol kids aged 7-11 years for its trial of US drugmaker Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, as the country prepares to protect children from the coronavirus.