As against the global average of 6.04, India has one Covid-19 death per lakh population which is one of the lowest in the world, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday, and credited timely detection of cases, extensive contact tracing and effective clinical management for the low mortality rate.

Till date, with 14,933 people testing positive for coronavirus in a single day, India's Covid-19 tally climbed to 4,40,215 on Tuesday while the death toll rose to 14,011 with 312 new fatalities, according to the Union health ministry data.

Citing WHO Situation Report 154 dated June 22, the ministry said the United Kingdom has registered 63.13 coronavirus-related fatalities per lakh population, while in Spain it is 60.60, Italy 57.19, the US 36.30, Germany 27.32, Brazil 23.68 and Russia 5.62.

"In India, early detection of cases, timely testing and surveillance, extensive contact tracing coupled with effective clinical management have helped to check case mortality," the ministry said in a statement.

This is also a testimony to the graded, pre-emptive and pro-active approach the Centre along with the states and Union Territories have taken for prevention, containment and management of Covid-19, it said.

"The recovery rate continues to improve and it is 56.38 per cent as on date," the ministry said.

So far, 2,48,189 patients have recovered from the disease leaving 1,78,014 active cases, according to updated official figures on Tuesday 8 am. One patient has migrated.

During the last 24 hours, a total of 10,994 Covid-19 patients have recovered.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 71,37,716 samples have been tested up to June 22 with 1,87,223 samples being tested on Monday. The number of government labs has been increased to 726 and private labs to 266, summing up to a total of 992.

India is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US, Brazil and Russia. According to Johns Hopkins University, which has been compiling Covid-19 data from all over the world, India is at the eighth position in terms of the death toll.

Muslims won't go for Haj: Govt

The government has decided that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom conveyed that pilgrims should not be sent this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah minister Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last night and suggested not to send pilgrims from India for Haj this year, Naqvi told reporters.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it has barred international visitors from making the Islamic pilgrimage, in a bid to control the coronavirus pandemic. It said only a very limited number of people currently living in the kingdom may take part.

"This decision was taken to ensure haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective," a Saudi government statement said.

Patanjali claims to have found cure for virus

Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali on Tuesday launched what he claimed was the first ayurvedic medicine to cure coronavirus disease even as the scientific community the world over struggles to develop an effective cure for the highly contagious disease.

Patanjali claimed 'Coronil' and 'Swasari' had shown 100 per cent favourable results during clinical trials on affected patients, at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.

Launching the medicines at a press conference in Haridwar, Ramdev claimed "100 per cent recovery rate in 7 days".

The Corona kit will be made available at Rs 545, said Acharya Balkrishna, the MD of Patanjali Ayurved. The corona kit will have medicines for 30 days.

Patanjali claims that its corona medicine kit can also be taken as prevention for coronavirus.

Scrap system requiring patients to visit govt facilities: Sisodia to LG

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday requested Lt Governor Anil Baijal to scrap the system requiring every Covid-19 patient to visit a government-run centre for clinical assessment.

Sisodia said he has written to the LG, saying that the new system will only create problems for the patients and add pressure on the government machinery as an infected person will have to wait in long queues at these centres.

"Why should one go to quarantine centre for checkup? Has he made any mistake? At a time when the government should help him, we are giving him punishment of standing in long queues," Sisodia said during an online media briefing.

The deputy chief minister demanded that the previous system be implemented wherein medical teams of the district administration visited the house of an infected person for his or her clinical assessment.