India records 18,840 Covid cases, 43 deaths in a day; active case count up by 2,693

New Delhi : India's COVID-19 case tally rose by 18,840 in a day to reach 4,36,04,394 while the number of active cases increased to 1,25,028, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

The death toll has climbed to 5,25,386 with 43 more people succumbing to the viral disease, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active case count increased by 2,693 in a day and now comprises 0.29 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.51 per cent, the health ministry said.

The daily positivity rate was 4.14 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 4.09 per cent, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,29,53,980, while the case fatality rate was 1.20 per cent.

According to the ministry, 198.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

India's COVID-19 case 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; 80 lakh on October 29, and 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed one crore on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid infections on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crore on January 25 this year.

The 43 new fatalities include 19 from Kerala, seven from Maharashtra, three each from Delhi and West Bengal, two each from Assam and Uttar Pradesh and one each from Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim and Uttarakhand.

A total of 5,25,386 deaths have been reported so far in the country including  1,47,971 from Maharashtra, 70,108 from Kerala, 40,123 from Karnataka, 38,028 from Tamil Nadu, 26,280 from Delhi, 23,547 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,236 from West Bengal.

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.