India registers 2.34 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1,341 deaths in past 24 hours; active cases cross 16 lakh

New Delhi: A record single-day rise of 2,34,692 COVID-19 cases and 1,341 fatalities have pushed India’s overall count to 1,45,26,609 and the toll to 1,75,649, the health ministry said on Saturday. The case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.21 percent. The number of active coronavirus cases in the country has surpassed the 16-lakh mark, the ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 38th day in a row, the tally of active COVID-19 cases has climbed to 16,79,740 in the country, accounting for 11.56 percent of its total caseload. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 1,26,71,220 thereby taking the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 87.23 percent, the data stated. 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. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 26,49,72,022 samples have so far been tested for the viral disease, including 14,95,397 on Friday. Of the fresh infections, Maharashtra reported 63,729, followed by Uttar Pradesh (27,426) and Delhi (19,486), according to the data. All three states registered the highest daily spike in the number of coronavirus cases since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. West Bengal, where Assembly polls are underway, also recorded the highest-ever daily jump of 6,910 cases. Maharashtra also reported the maximum number of fresh casualties at 398, followed by Delhi (141), Chhattisgarh (138), Uttar Pradesh (103), Gujarat (94), Karnataka (78), Madhya Pradesh (60), Punjab (50), Tamil Nadu (33) and Rajasthan (31).