<span style="color: #222222;">Union Health Ministry has said that the country is witnessing a continuous decline in number of active cases of Covid -19 and increase in recovery rate from the last 12 days.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Addressing media in New Delhi, Joint secretary in the Health Ministry, Lav Aggarwal said that the active cases have now come down to 15.1 percent from 17.1 per cent since 3rd of this month.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The recovery rate also improved further 81.7 per cent to 83.8 per cent. He said , in the last 4 to 5 days, the recovered cases have surpassed the active cases being reported across the country.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He stressed that intensive efforts should continue in States with higher number of cases as 11 States are with more than one lakh active cases and 8 are with 50 thousand to one lakh such cases.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He also informed that there are 24 States including West Bengal, Haryana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha where the positivity rate is more than 15 per cent and 10 States are those where the rate is between 5 to 15 per cent.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">On the status of Vaccination, Mr Agarwal said that India's Cumulative Vaccination Coverage exceeds 18.04 crore.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">During the briefing, Director AIIMS, New Delhi Dr Randeep Guleria advised the people about the judicious use of steroids in case of Covid infection as it's high dose can cause mucormycosis or fungal infection in patients who are diabetic. He said, steroids should not be used in mild infection.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Dr Guleria said that Covid management should reach out to all part of the country including rural areas.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">NITI Aayog Member, Health, Dr V K Paul said that the overall situation pandemic is stabilising and we will work towards ensuring further stabilising it.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He also informed that the case fatality rate is stable which is a great achievement.</span><br />''