India adds 16,156 new COVID-19 infections, 733 fatalities; active cases lowest in 243 days

New Delhi: With 16,156 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,42,31,809, while the active cases declined to 1,60,989, the lowest in 243 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. The death toll climbed to 4,56,386 with 733 fresh fatalities including 622 from Kerala, according to the data updated at 8 am. Of the 622 deaths in Kerala, 93 were reported in the last few days, 330 were those which were not confirmed until 18 June last year due to lack of adequate documentation and 199 were designated as COVID deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and Supreme Court directions, a state government release said. The ministry said the daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 34 straight days and less than 50,000 for 123 consecutive days now. The active cases comprise 0.47 percent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.20 percent, the highest since March 2020, it said. A decrease of 1,672 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. According to the ICMR, 12,90,900 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 60,44,98,405. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.25 percent. It has been less than two percent for last 24 days. The weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 1.19 percent. It has been below two percent for the last 34 days, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,36,14,434, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 percent. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 104.04 crore. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August , 2020, 30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5 September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October 11, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on 4 May and three crore on 23 June. A total of 4,56,386 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,40,098 from Maharashtra, 38,037 from Karnataka, 36,060 from Tamil Nadu, 29,977 from Kerala, 25,091 from Delhi, 22,899 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,096 from West Bengal. The 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.