NEW DELHI: The steady fall in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases in the country has ensured the contraction of its active caseload, which stands at 2,25,449 as on date and accounts for only 2.16 per cent of the total infections, the health ministry said on Friday.
Only 18,139 people tested positive for the viral disease in the country in a span of 24 hours, it said, adding that with 20,539 recoveries in the period, a net decline of 2,634 cases in the number of active cases was registered.
Providing figures that show the change in the number of active cases in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said Maharashtra recorded the maximum positive change with an addition of 307 cases, whereas Kerala showed the maximum negative change with a drop of 613 cases.
The number of daily recoveries is increasing exponentially and stands at 10,037,398, the ministry said.
It added that 79.96 per cent of the new recoveries were reported from 10 states and Union territories.
Kerala has reported the maximum number of 5,639 single-day recoveries, followed by Maharashtra (3,350) and West Bengal (1,295).
Ten states have accounted for 81.22 per cent of the new cases, the ministry said.
Kerala continued to report the highest number of fresh cases at 5,051, followed by Maharashtra (3,729) and Chhattisgarh (1,010), it added.
A total of 234 fatalities due to the disease were reported in a span of 24 hours, with eight states and Union territories accounting for 76.50 per cent of the deaths.
Maharashtra saw the maximum number of casualties at 72, followed by Kerala (25) and Delhi (19), the ministry said.
"India's deaths per million population are 109.
Eighteen states and UTs have deaths per million population lower than the national average," it said.
On the other hand, 17 states and Union territories have a death-per-million figure that is higher than the national average.
Delhi has recorded the maximum number of deaths per million population at 569.