The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 686 and the number of cases climbed to 21,700 in the country on Thursday, with 34 more deaths and 1,229 fresh cases being reported since Wednesday evening, according to the Union Health Ministry.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 16,689 as 4,324 people were cured and discharged, and one patient migrated, the ministry said.
Thus, about 19.93 per cent of the cases have recovered so far, a Health Ministry official said.
The total number of cases includes 77 foreign nationals.
A total of 34 deaths were reported since Wednesday evening of which 18 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, eight from Gujarat, three from Andhra Pradesh, two from Rajasthan and one each from Delhi, Telengana and Madhya Pradesh.