The total case tally stands at 53,08,015 including 10,13,964 active cases, 42,08,432 cured/discharged/migrated and 85,619 deaths, suggested health ministry’s web portal.

ICMR conducted 8,81,911 tests on Friday taking the total tally to 6,24,54,254 till date.

Maharashtra remains the worst-affected as it reported 21,656 new coronavirus cases, 22,078 recoveries and 405 deaths on Friday, taking total cases to 11,67,496 including 8,34,432 recoveries, 31,791 deaths and 3,00,887 active cases, stated Health Department.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi rose to 2,38,828 with 4,127 new cases and 30 deaths reported on Friday. The numbers of active and recovered cases are 32,250 and 2,01,671 respectively. The death toll is at 4,907, stated Delhi Government.

Nearly 30 candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine are under development across the country, by industry and academia, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.

“Nationally, nearly 30 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are under development, by both industry and academia. These vaccines are in different stages of pre-clinical and clinical development of which three candidates are in the advanced stage of Phase I/II/III trials and four are in advanced pre-clinical development stage. Support is also being extended for the development of vaccine-associated research resources, the establishment of clinical trial sites, and notifying enabling regulatory guidelines,” Vardhan said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.