India reports 6,396 fresh Covid infections, active cases remain less than one lakh

New Delhi, March 4: With 6,396 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 4,29,51,556, while the active cases dipped to 69,897, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 5,14,589 with 201 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

 The daily COVID-19 cases have remained less than one lakh for 26 consecutive days.

The active cases comprise 0.16 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 98.64 per cent, the ministry said.

A reduction of 7,255 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.69 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.90 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,23,67,070 while 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 178.29 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 201 new fatalities include 161 from Kerala and 12 from Maharashtra.

A total of 5,14,589 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,43,718 from Maharashtra, 65,758 from Kerala, 39,979 from Karnataka, 38,010 from Tamil Nadu, 26,130 from Delhi, 23,470 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,178 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.

PTI