New coronavirus infections in India jump to cross 5,000-mark

Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 43,190,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Wednesday.

A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 524,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,881 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.67 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 42,636,710, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.43 crore.

India's Covid-19 tally had crossed the 2-million mark on August 7, 2020, 3 million on August 23, 4 million on September 5, and 5 million on September 16. It went past 6 million on September 28, 7 million on October 11, crossed 8 million on October 29, 9 million on November 20, and surpassed the 10-million mark on December 19. The country crossed the grim milestone of 20 million on May 4 and 30 million on June 23 last year.

The seven new fatalities include five from Kerala and one each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 524,715 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 147,866 from Maharashtra, 69,801 from Kerala, 40,108 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,213 from Delhi, 23,523 from Uttar Pradesh, and 21,205 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.