India adds 39,742 new COVID-19 cases, 535 deaths in 24 hrs; active caseload drops to 4.08 lakh

New Delhi: India added 39,742 fresh cases of coronavirus infection taking the overall count over 3.13 crore while, the toll rose to 4,20,551 with 535 new deaths, said the Union health ministry on Sunday. The active cases have declined to 4,08,212 and comprise 1.30 percent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 97.36 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A decline of 765 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August, 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, 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. As many as 17,18,756 tests were conducted on Saturday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 45.62 crore. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.31 percent . It has been less than three percent for 34 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.24 percent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,05,43,138, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 percent, the data stated. Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 43.31 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive. The 535 new fatalities include 224 from Maharashtra and 98 from Kerala. A total of 4,20551 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,31,429 from Maharashtra, 36,352 from Karnataka, 33,889 from Tamil Nadu, 25,041 from Delhi, 22,749 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,064 from West Bengal. 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.