India registers 25,320 new COVID-19 cases in highest daily rise in 84 days

New Delhi: India on Sunday recorded 25,320 COVID-19 infections, the highest daily rise in 84 days, taking the case tally to 1,13,59,048, according to Union health ministry data. As many as 26,624 new infections were recorded on 20 December. The toll increased to 1,58,607 on Sunday with 161 new fatalities, the highest in 44 days, the data updated at 8 am showed. The country’s active caseload increased to 2,10,544 and constitutes 1.85 percent of the total infections. The recovery rate dropped to 96.75 percent from 96.82 percent on Saturday. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,09,89,897, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.40 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, 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, 22,67,03,641 samples had been tested up to 13 March with 8,64,368 being tested on Saturday. The 161 new fatalities include 88 from Maharashtra, 22 from Punjab and 12 from Kerala. So far, 1,58,607 deaths have been reported in the country including 52,811 from Maharashtra, 12,543 from Tamil Nadu, 12,387 from Karnataka, 10,939 from Delhi, 10,288 from West Bengal, 8,745 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,182 from Andhra Pradesh. 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.