India clocks 35,178 new COVID-19 cases, 440 deaths; active cases lowest in 148 days

New Delhi:  India added 35,178 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,22,85,857, while the national recovery rate improved to 97.52 percent, the highest since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll climbed to 4,32,519 with 440 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The active cases declined to 3,67,415, the lowest in 148 days, and comprise 1.14 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said. A reduction of 2,431 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. As many as 17,97,559 tests were conducted on Tuesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 49,84,27,083 . The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.96 percent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 23 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.95 percent. It has been below three percent for the last 54 days, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,14,85,923, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. Cumulatively, 56.06 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far. 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.