COVID: India hits 75% vaccination rate milestone

India has given at least two vaccines against COVID-19 to 75% of its adult population, the government has said.

The announcement came as the third wave of the virus, driven by the highly-infectious omicron variant, appeared to be plateauing in some states. However, cases seemed to still be on the rise in some parts of the country, particularly in the south.

"The faith of our people in our nation's vaccine is a great source of strength," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his monthly radio address, adding: "Now, the number of COVID infections is declining. This is a very positive sign."

Emphasizing the need to keep observing health protocols, Modi said: "It is important to defeat COVID and ensure economic progress."

India reported 234,281 new cases in the past 24 hours on Sunday morning and 893 deaths, according to the latest Health Ministry data.

Several regions have now started relaxing restrictions introduced during the latest wave.

Delhi has ended its weekend curfew, while the neighboring Haryana state has allowed cinemas and theaters to re-open at 50% capacity, according to news channel NDTV.