India records 35,871 new COVID-19 cases, highest single-day rise in 102 days

New Delhi: India on Thursday recorded 35,871 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in over 100 days, which took the infection tally to 1,14,74,605, according to Union health ministry data.

Registering an increase for the eighth consecutive day, the active caseload reached 2,52,364, which accounts for 2.20 percent of the total infections. The recovery rate further dropped to 96.41 percent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The toll increased to 1,59,216 with 172 new fatalities, it stated.

The single-day spike of 35,871 cases is the highest in 102 days. As many as 36,011 new infections were recorded on 6 December.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,63,025, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.39 percent, according to the data.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on 7 August,30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5 September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September ,70 lakh on 11 October, crossed 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one-crore mark on 19 December.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 23,03,13,163 samples had been tested up to 17 March, with 10,63,379 being tested on Wednesday.

The 172 new fatalities include 84 from Maharashtra, 35 from Punjab and 13 from Kerala.

So far, 1,59,216 deaths have been reported in the country including 53,080 from Maharashtra, 12,564 from Tamil Nadu, 12,407 from Karnataka, 10,948 from Delhi, 10,298 from West Bengal, 8,751 from Uttar Pradesh and 7,186 from Andhra Pradesh.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent 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.