India reports 3.48 lakh new COVID-19 cases, record 4,205 deaths; toll rises to 2,54,197

New Delhi: India saw a record rise in COVID-19 deaths with 4,205 fresh fatalities taking the country’s toll to 2,54,197, while 3,48,421 new coronavirus infections were reported, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The total tally of COVID-19 cases in country now stands at 2,33,40,938. The active cases have reduced to 37,04,099 comprising 15.87 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 83.04 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,93,82,642 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 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. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on 4 May. _**Follow Live updates on Coronavirus in India here**_ According to the ICMR, 30,75,83,991 samples have been tested up to 11 May with 19,83,804 samples being tested on Tuesday. The 4,205 new fatalities include 793 from Maharashtra, 480 from Karnataka, 347 from Delhi, 301 from Uttar Pradesh, 298 from Tamil Nadu, 214 from Punjab, 199 from Chhattisgarh, 169 from Rajasthan, 144 from Haryana, 132 from West Bengal, 118 each from Gujarat and Uttarakhand, 108 from Andhra Pradesh and 103 from Jharkhand. A total of 2,54,197 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 77,191 from Maharashtra, 20,010 from Delhi, 19,852 from Karnataka, 16,178 from Tamil Nadu, 16,043 from Uttar Pradesh, 12,593 from West Bengal, 10,941 from Chhattisgarh and 10,918 from Punjab. 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.