India records 30,570 COVID-19 cases, 431 deaths, recovery rate at 97.64 per cent

New Delhi

With 30,570 more people testing positive for COVID-19,India's overall infection tally has risen to 3,33,47,325, while the count ofactive cases has dipped to 3,42,923, according to the Union Health Ministry onThursday.

The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,43,928 with 431 dailyfatalities being recorded, according to data updated by the ministry at 8 am.

The number of active cases has dropped to 3,42,923, which comprises 1.03 percent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate wasrecorded at 97.64 per cent, the ministry said. A reduction of 8,164 cases hasbeen recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, the datashowed.

Also, 15,79,761 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the country on Wednesday, takingthe total number of such examinations so far to 54,77,01,729, it stated.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.94 per cent. This has been belowthree per cent for 17 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.93 percent. This figure has been below three per cent for 83 days now, according tothe Health Ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to3,25,60,474, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent. Thecumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so farunder the nationwide vaccination drive has exceeded 76.57 crore, according tothe ministry.

India's COVID-19 infection tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh onNovember 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore cases on May 4 and threecrore on June 23. The 431 new fatalities include 208 from Kerala, 70 from Goaand 56 from Maharashtra.

"In the last 24 hours, two deaths have occurred in Goa. But 68 additionaldeaths from August 2020 to June 2021 are added to cumulative deaths and havebeen reported late from South Goa District Hospital (Margao)," theministry said.

A total of 4,43,928 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including1,38,277 from Maharashtra, 37,537 from Karnataka, 35,246 from Tamil Nadu,25,083 from Delhi, 22,987 from Kerala, 22,885 from Uttar Pradesh, and 18,613from West Bengal, the data showed.

The Health Ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurreddue to co-morbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the IndianCouncil of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, addingthat state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification andreconciliation.