India records 1,52,879 new COVID-19 infections; active cases cross 11 lakh for first time

New Delhi: Hitting another record daily high of 1,52,879 new coronavirus infections, India’s COVID-19 tally of cases climbed to 1,33,58,805, while the active cases breached the 11-lakh mark for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll increased to 1,69,275 with 839 daily new fatalities, the highest since 18 October, 2020, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 32nd day in row, the active cases increased to 11,08,087 comprising 8.29 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate further dropped to 90.44 per cent, the ministry said. The active caseload was at its lowest at 1,35,926 on 12 February and at its highest at 10,17,754 on 18 September, 2020. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,20,81,443, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.27 percent, the data stated. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 25,66,26,850 samples have been tested up to April 10 with 14,12,047 samples being tested on Saturday. The 839 new fatalities include 309 from Maharashtra, 123 from Chhattisgarh, 58 from Punjab, 49 from Gujarat, 46 from Uttar Pradesh, 39 from Delhi, 36 from Karnataka, 24 from Madhya Pradesh, 23 from Tamil Nadu, 18 from Rajasthan, 17 each from Kerala and Jharkhand, 12 each from Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal and 11 from Haryana. A total of 1,69,275 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 57,638 from Maharashtra, 12,886 from Tamil Nadu, 12,849 from Karnataka, 11,235 from Delhi, 10,390 from West Bengal, 9,085 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,448 from Punjab and 7,291 from Andhra Pradesh. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.