India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 5.4mn as it added 92,605 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the federal Health Ministry showed yesterday.
The country has posted the highest single-day caseload in the world since early August, and lags behind only the United States, which has 6.7mn cases in terms of total infections.
A total of 1,113 people died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the ministry said, taking the death toll to 86,752, which is a relatively low 1.6% of all cases. While the recovery rate stands at 79.68%, the fatality rate has come down to 1.61%, the data showed.
Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with over 1.2mn cases, including 32,216 deaths, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra also saw 26,408 patients getting cured and returning home, including a 106-year-old great-grandmother, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.
Anandibai Patil flashed a semi-toothless grin holding her ‘Discharge Card’ as she she was wheeled out of Savlaram Hospital in Dombivali town of Thane.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tope, Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, and others hailed her victory over the virus.
Meanwhile, 38 more people died in Delhi yesterday, taking the death toll due to Covid-19 in the national capital to 4,945.
Also, 4,071 fresh infections were reported, taking the total number of cases beyond 242,000, officials said. Telangana’s Covid-19 tally crossed the 170,000 mark as the state reported 2,173 more cases yesterday, while eight more succumbed to the virus.
The new cases pushed the state’s tally to 171,306 while the death toll went up to 1,033.
Telangana’s fatality rate now stands at 0.60% against the national average of 1.60%.
Odisha reported 4,330 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike taking the state’s total tally to 179,880.
The Covid-19 death toll increased to 701 in the state with 10 new fatalities in the last 24 hours.
While Cuttack and Puri districts reported two deaths each, one each died in Balangir, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Khordha, Mayurbhanj and Sambalpur districts, an official said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has completed the second round of a countrywide serological survey (serosurvey) to detect the prevalence of Covid-19 and its analysis is in the final stage, officials said.