India recorded a single-day rise of 11,466 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the country's tally of infections to 3,43,88,579, while the count of active cases has declined to 1,39,683, the lowest in 264 days, Union health ministry data showed.
The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,61,849, with 460 more fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 33 straight days. Less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 136 consecutive days now.
The tally of active cases has declined to 1,39,683 which comprises 0.41 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.25 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.
A decrease of 955 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the data showed.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.90 per cent. This has been less than two per cent for 37 days.
The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent. This figure has been below two per cent for 47 days, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,37,87,047, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.34 per cent.
The cumulative number of doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 109.63 crore.
India's COVID-19 infection tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestones of two crore cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
The 460 new fatalities include 384 from Kerala, and 27 from Maharashtra. Kerala has been reconciling Covid deaths since the past few days, hence the toll of the state is high.
A total of 4,61,849 fatalities have been reported so far in the country, including 1,40,430 from Maharashtra, 38,122 from Karnataka, 36,238 from Tamil Nadu, 34,362 from Kerala, 25,091 from Delhi, 22,903 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,252 from West Bengal.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities.
"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.
