NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 40,120 coronavirus infections, taking the tally of cases to 3,21,17,826, while the recovery rate rose to 97.46 per cent, the highest recorded so far, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated Friday.
The death toll, meanwhile, climbed to 4,30,254 with 585 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The ministry said the number of active cases has declined to 3,85,227 or 1.20 per cent of the total cases, the lowest percentage since March 2020.
A decline of 2,760 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.
The recovery rate has risen to 97.46 per cent, the country's highest since the start of the pandemic, the ministry said.
Also, 19,70,495 tests were conducted Thursday, taking the cumulative tests carried out so far for the detection of COVID-19 in the country to 48,94,70,779.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.04 per cent.
It has been below 3 per cent for the last 19 days.
The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.13 per cent, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,13,02,345, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.
Cumulatively, 52.95 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered till Tuesday morning.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
The 585 new fatalities include 208 from Maharashtra and 160 from Kerala.
A total of 4,30,254 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,34, 572 from Maharashtra, 36,911 from Karnataka, 34,428 from Tamil Nadu, 25,068 from Delhi, 22,780 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,280 from Kerala and 18,268 from West Bengal.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent 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.
More than 50 lakh (50,77,491) doses were administered on Thursday, according to 7 pm provisional report.
The ministry said 27,83,649 vaccine doses were administered as first dose and 4,85,193 vaccine doses given as second dose, in the age group 18-44 years, on Thursday.
Cumulatively, 18,76,63,555 people in the age group 18-44 years across states/UTs have received their first dose and 1,39,23,085 have received their second dose since the start of phase-3 of the nationwide vaccination drive, it said.
Five states--Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh--have administered more than 1 crore cumulative doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the age group 18-44 years.
Also, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have vaccinated more than 10 lakh beneficiaries in the age group 18-44 years for the first dose of COVID vaccine, the ministry noted.
As on 209th day of the vaccination drive on Thursday, 50,77,491 vaccine doses were given.
The ministry said 39,49,956 beneficiaries were vaccinated for the first dose and 11,27,535 beneficiaries received second dose of vaccine according to the provisional report till 7 pm.
Final reports would be completed for the day by late night, it said.
The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from the novel continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the ministry said.