NEW DELHI: With 45,352 people testing positive for coronavirus, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,29,03,289, while active cases registered an increase for the third consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll climbed to 4,39,895 with 366 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The active cases increased to 3,99,778 comprising 1.22 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.45 per cent, the ministry said.
An increase of 10,195 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
As many as 16,66,334 tests were conducted on Thursday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 52,65,35,068.
The daily positivity rate was recorded 2.72 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.66 per cent.
It has been below three per cent for the last 70 days, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,20,63,616, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.
A total of 67.09 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.
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 366 new fatalities include 188 from Kerala, and 55 from Maharashtra.
A total of 4,39,895 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,37,551 from Maharashtra, 37,361 from Karnataka, 34,961 from Tamil Nadu, 25,082 from Delhi, 22,841 from Uttar Pradesh, 21,149 from Kerala and 18,472 from West Bengal.
The 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.
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 67 crore on Thursday, the Union health ministry said.
More than 64.70 lakh (64,70,901) vaccine doses were administered on Thursday, according to the 7 pm provisional report.
The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said.
The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, it underlined.