India adds 35,871 fresh COVID-19 cases, biggest single-day jump in 102 days

PTI, Mar 18, 2021, 10:28 AM IST

New Delhi: India on Thursday recorded 35,871 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in over 100 days, which took the infection tally to 1,14,74,605, according to Union health ministry data.

Registering an increase for the eighth consecutive day, the active caseload reached 2,52,364, which accounts for 2.20 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate further dropped to 96.41 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The death toll increased to 1,59,216 with 172 daily new fatalities, it stated.

The single-day spike of 35,871 cases is the highest in 102 days. As many as 36,011 new infections were recorded on December 6.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,63,025, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.39 per cent, according to the data.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 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.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 23,03,13,163 samples had been tested up to March 17 with 10,63,379 being tested on Wednesday.