The highest-ever single-day surge of 16,922 COVID-19 cases pushed India's total tally to 4,73,105 on Thursday whereas the death toll climbed to 14,894 with 418 new fatalities, according to the Union health ministry.

IMAGE: A health worker collects a swab sample of a man for the COVID-19 test at Urban Primary Health Centre, in Bikaner. Photograph: ANI Photo

With this, India has registered over 14,000 cases for the sixth day in a row.

According to the ministry data updated at 8 am, active cases stand at 1,86,514 while 2,71,696 people have recovered and one patient has migrated.

"Thus, around 57.43 per cent patients have recovered so far," an official said.

The number of confirmed cases included foreigners.

IMAGE: Health workers wearing Personal Protective Equipment carry the body of a person who died due to the coronavirus disease, at a crematorium in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Of the 418 new deaths, 208 were in Maharashtra, 64 in Delhi, 33 in Tamil Nadu, 25 in Gujarat, 14 in Karnataka, 11 in West Bengal, 10 each in Rajasthan and Haryana, nine in Madhya Pradesh, eight each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, five each in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand.

Bihar, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir have reported one COVID-19 fatality each.

India sees biggest one-day spike of 16\,922 cases

16,922 new Covid-19 cases, 418 deaths in 24 hrs in India