India records 60,753 fresh Covid-19 cases; 1,647 deaths in last 24 hours

With 60,753 new Covid cases being reported in a day, India's total tally rose to 2,98,23,546, while the number of active cases stand at 7,60,019, the lowest in 74 days, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.

The death toll climbed to 3,85,137 with 1,647 fresh fatalities and active cases comprise 2.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 96.16 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

A total of 19,02,009 tests were conducted on Friday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 38,92,07,637, it said.

The daily positivity rate was recorded 2.98 per cent. It has been less than five per cent for 12 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding that the weekly positivity rate has declined to 3.58 per cent.

Recoveries continue to outnumber daily new cases for the 37th consecutive day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease increased to 2,86,78,390, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.29 per cent, the data said.

Cumulatively, 27,23,88,783 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year, 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 last year.

The tally crossed the 2-crore marck on May 4.