Daily COVID-19 cases in country lowest in 662 days

PTI, Mar 8, 2022, 9:41 AM IST

New Delhi: India logged 3,993 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 662 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,29,71,308, while the active cases dipped to 49,948, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

The death toll climbed to 5,15,210 with 108 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.12 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate further improved to 98.68 per cent, the ministry said.

A reduction of 4,170 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.46 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 0.68 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,24,06,150 and the case fatality rate was recorded as 1.20 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 179.13 crore.

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.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year.

The 108 new fatalities include 83 from Kerala and five from Karnataka.

A total of 5,15,210 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,43,740 from Maharashtra, 66,263 from Kerala, 39,996 from Karnataka, 38,017 from Tamil Nadu, 26,137 from Delhi, 23,476 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,180 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.