Over 40k coronavirus cases recorded in India, highest in 111 days

PTI, Mar 20, 2021, 11:43 AM IST

New Delhi: India saw 40,953 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the highest single-day rise recorded in 111 days, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,55,284, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

Registering an increase for the tenth day in a row, the total active caseload has reached 2,88,394, which now comprises 2.49 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.12 per cent, the data stated.

India registered over one lakh cases in just three days. On Friday, 39,726 new cases were registered while 35,871 fresh cases were registered on Thursday.

The daily rise in infections (40,953) was the highest recorded in 111 days, while the death toll increased to 1,59,558 with 188 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

On November 29, 41,810 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,11,07,332, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.38 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, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

According to ICMR, 23,24,31,517 samples have been tested up to March 19 with 10,60,971 samples being tested on Friday.

The 188 new fatalities include 70 deaths from Maharashtra, 38 from Punjab and 17 from Kerala.

So far, 1,59,558 deaths have been reported in the country, including 53,208 from Maharashtra, 12,582 from Tamil Nadu, 12,425 from Karnataka, 10,953 from Delhi, 10,301 from West Bengal, 8,757 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,187 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.