India's COVID-19 toll crosses one lakh; Maharashtra accounts for over one-third of total deaths

New Delhi: India’s COVID-19 death toll crossed one lakh and the infection tally climbed to 64,73,544, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 54 lakh pushing the recovery rate to 83.84 percent, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. The total coronavirus cases mounted to 64,73,544 with 79,476 new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,00,842 with the virus claiming 1,069 lives in a span of 24 hours, data updated at 8 am showed. The total recoveries have surged to 54,27,706, while there are 9,44,996 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 14.60 percent of the total caseload, the data showed. The COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.56 percent. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August, 30 lakh on 23 August and 40 lakh on 5 September. It went past 50 lakh on September 16 and crossed 60 lakh on 28 September. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 7,78,50,403 samples have been tested up to 2 October, of which 11,32,675 were tested on Friday. The 1,069 new fatalities include 424 from Maharashtra, 125 from Karnataka, 67 from Tamil Nadu, 53 each from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, 50 from Punjab, 37 from Delhi, 36 from Madhya Pradesh, and 31 from Andhra Pradesh. The total of 1,00,842 deaths reported so far in the country includes 37,480 from Maharashtra, followed by 9,653 from Tamil Nadu, 9,119 from Karnataka, 5,917 from Uttar Pradesh, 5,900 from Andhra Pradesh, 5,438 from Delhi, 5,070 from West Bengal, 3,501 from Punjab, and 3,475 from Gujarat. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent 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.