India reports 14,849 new COVID-19 cases, 155 more fatalities; recovery rate now 96.83%

New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 caseload has gone up to 1,06,54,533 with 14,849 people testing positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, while the number of recoveries has surged to 1,03,16,786, according to the health ministry. The toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 1,53,339 with 155 more fatalities, the ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 1,03,16,786, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.83 percent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.44 percent. The active COVID-19 caseload of the country remained below two lakh for the fifth consecutive day. There are 1,84,408 active cases of the coronavirus infection in the country currently, which account for 1.73 per cent of its total caseload, the data stated. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August last year, the 30-lakh mark on 23 August, the 40-lakh mark on 5 September and the 50-lakh mark on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and the one-crore mark on 19 December. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 19,17,66,871 samples have so far been tested in the country for the viral disease, including 7,81,752 on Saturday. Of the 155 fresh fatalities, 56 were reported from Maharashtra, 23 from Kerala and 10 each from Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal. Of the total 1,53,339 COVID-19 deaths reported so far in the country, Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of 50,740, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,309), Karnataka (12,193), Delhi (10,799), West Bengal (10,107), Uttar Pradesh (8,609) and Andhra Pradesh (7,147). The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the COVID-19 deaths in the country occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” it said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.