India's COVID tally tops 14 lakh with nearly 50,000 new cases

With a record single-day jump of 49,931 COVID-19 cases, India's caseload climbed to 14,35,453 on Monday, while recoveries surged to 9,17,567, according to Union health ministry data.

The country's death toll rose to 32,771 with 708 fatalities being recorded in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed.

There are 4,85,114 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country, while 9,17,567 patients have recovered and one person has migrated. The recovery rate stands at 63.92 per cent, according to the data.

This is the fifth consecutive day when COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 45,000.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 1,68,06,803 samples had been tested up to July 26. As many as 5,15,472 samples, the highest in a single day, were tested on Sunday.

Of the 708 deaths reported, 267 are from Maharashtra, 85 from Tamil Nadu, 82 from Karnataka, 56 from Andhra Pradesh, 40 from West Bengal, 39 from Uttar Pradesh, 26 from Gujarat, 21 from Delhi, 15 from Punjab, and 10 each from Bihar and Odisha.

Twelve fatalities have been reported from Madhya Pradesh, eight each from Rajasthan and Telangana, seven from Jammu and Kashmir, four from Chhattisgarh, three each from Haryana and Jharkhand, two each from Assam, Tripura, Goa, Puducherry and Kerala, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Of the total 32,771 deaths reported so far, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 13,656, followed by 3,827 in Delhi, 3,494 in Tamil Nadu, 2,326 in Gujarat, 1,878 in Karnataka, 1,426 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,372 in West Bengal, 1,041 in Andhra Pradesh and 811 in Madhya Pradesh.

So far, 621 people have died of COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 463 in Telangana, 392 in Haryana, 312 in Jammu and Kashmir, 306 in Punjab, 244 in Bihar, 140 in Odisha, 85 in Jharkhand, 79 in Assam, 63 in Uttarakhand and 61 in Kerala.

Chhattisgarh has registered 43 deaths, Puducherry 40, Goa 35, Chandigarh 13, Tripura 13, Himachal Pradesh 12, Meghalaya five, Ladakh four, Nagaland four, Arunachal Pradesh three, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two each.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities.

Maharashtra has reported the highest number of cases at 3,75,799, followed by 2,13,723 in Tamil Nadu, 1,30,606 in Delhi, 96,298 in Andhra Pradesh, 96,141 in Karnataka, 66,988 in Uttar Pradesh and 58,718 in West Bengal.

As many as 55,822 cases have been recorded in Gujarat, 54,059 cases in Telangana, 39,176 in Bihar, 35,909 in Rajasthan, 32,228 in Assam, 31,332 in Haryana and 27,800 in Madhya Pradesh.

Odisha has reported 25,389 infections, Jammu and Kashmir 17,920, Kerala 19,025, and Punjab 13,218.

A total of 8,275 people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand, 7,450 in Chhattisgarh, 6,104 in Uttarakhand, 4,861 in Goa, 3,900 in Tripura, 2,786 in Puducherry, 2,235 in Manipur, 2,176 in Himachal Pradesh, and 1,285 in Ladakh.

Nagaland has recorded 1,339 COVID-19 cases, Arunachal Pradesh 1,158, and Chandigarh 887. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu together have reported 914 cases.

Meghalaya has reported 702 cases, Sikkim 545, Mizoram 361, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands 324 cases.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.