India records 30,948 new Covid cases, 403 deaths

India logged 30,948 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases declined to 3,53,398, comprising 1.09 per cent of the total infections, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Sunday.

The total tally of Covid-19 cases has increased to  3,24,24,234. The death toll has climbed to 4,34,367 with 403 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases have declined to 3,53,398, the lowest in 152 days, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has increased to 97.57 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry said.

A reduction of 7,942 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of  24 hours.

As many as 15,85,681 tests were conducted on Saturday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of Covid-19 in the country to 50,62,56,239. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.95 per cent.  It has been less than three per cent for the last 27 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at two per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 58 days, according to the ministry.      

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,16,36,469, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

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. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. 

Cumulatively, 58.14 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide  vaccination drive till Sunday morning.

The 403 new fatalities include 145 from Maharashtra and 83 from Kerala.

A total of 4,34,367 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,35,817 from Maharashtra, 37,123 from Karnataka, 34,686 from Tamil Nadu, 25,079 from Delhi, 22,792  from Uttar Pradesh, 19,428 from Kerala and 18,356 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.