India records highest single-day spike with 47,262 fresh COVID-19 cases

PTI, Mar 24, 2021, 10:40 AM IST

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New Delhi: India recorded 47,262 fresh coronavirus cases in a day, the highest single-day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,17,34,058, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.

The active caseload registered an increased for the 14th day in row and was recorded at 3,68,457, comprising 3.14 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate further dropped to 95.49 per cent, the ministry data updated at 8 am said.

The daily rise in infections was the highest recorded in 132 days, while the country’s COVID-19 death toll increased to 1,60,441, with 275 new fatalities, the highest in around 83 days.

As many as 47,905 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on November 12 last year, it said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,12,05,160, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.37 per cent, the data stated.

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, 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 (ICMR), 23,64,38,861 samples have been tested till March 23, with 10,25,628 samples tested on Tuesday.

Out of the 275 new fatalities, 132 deaths were reported from Maharashtra, 53 from Punjab, 20 from Chhattisgarh and 10 from Kerala.

A total of 1,60,441 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 53,589 from Maharashtra, 12,618 from Tamil Nadu, 12,449 from Karnataka, 10,967 from Delhi, 10,310 from West Bengal, 8,764 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,193 from Andhra Pradesh.

The health 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.