COVID-19: After 201 days, India records below 20,000 fresh cases; 179 more deaths

The number of fresh coronavirus cases was recorded at below 20,000 (18,795) in India after 201 days on Tuesday, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 3,36,97,581, while the number of active cases declined to 2,92,206, the lowest in 192 days, according to the Union health ministry.

A total 18,795 fresh Covid cases were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 4,47,373 with 179 more fatalities, the lowest in 193 days, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily fatalities was recorded at 154 on March 19.

The number of active cases has declined to 2,92,206, accounting for 0.87 per cent of the total number of cases -- the lowest since March 2020 -- while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.81 per cent, the highest since March last year, the ministry said.

A decrease of 7,414 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Less than 50,000 daily cases are being reported in the country for 93 consecutive days now, the ministry said.

Also, 13,21,780 tests were conducted to detect the infection on Monday, taking the total number of such tests conducted so far in the country to 56,57,30,031.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.42 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for the last 29 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.88 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 95 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 3,29,58,002, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The cumulative number of vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 87 crore with more than one crore doses administered in a span of 24 hours.

India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19 last year.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid cases on May 4 this year and the three-crore mark on June 23.

The 179 new fatalities include 58 from Kerala and 32 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,47,373 deaths due to the viral disease have so far been reported in the country, including 1,38,902 from Maharashtra, 37,746 from Karnataka, 35,509 from Tamil Nadu, 25,085 from Delhi, 24,661 from Kerala, 22,890 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,751 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 a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.