Active COVID-19 cases continue to rise with 16,103 new infections

India logged 16,103 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,35,02,429, while the active cases increased to 1,11,711, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll climbed to 5,25,199 with 31 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.26 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.54 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 2,143 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.27 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 3.81 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,28,65,519 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

According to the ministry, 197.95 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

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. It crossed four crore on January 25 this year.

The 31 new fatalities include 14 from Kerala, five from Maharashtra, three from West Bengal, two each from Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and one each from Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram.

A total of 5,25,199 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,934 from Maharashtra, 70,037 from Kerala, 40,119 from Karnataka, 38,026 from Tamil Nadu, 26,266 from Delhi, 23,540 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,222 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.