India records 3,303 COVID-19 cases, 39 deaths

India on Thursday reported 3,303 fresh COVID-19 cases that took its tally to 4,30,68,799, while the active cases increased to 16,980, according to Union health ministry data.

The daily cases crossed the 3,000-mark after 46 days.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 5,23,693 with 39 more fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 98.74 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 701 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.66 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.61 per cent, the ministry said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,25,28,126, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.22 per cent, it said.

The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive has exceeded 188.40 crore.

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, 2021 and three crore on June 23.

The 39 new fatalities include 36 from Kerala, and one each from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Of the total 5,23,693 deaths reported so far in the country, 1,47,838 were from Maharashtra, 68,952 from Kerala, 40,057 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,170 from Delhi, 23,506 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,201 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.