With 6,563 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in one day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3.47 crore, while the active cases declined to 82,267, the lowest in 572 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday, December 20. The death toll climbed to 4.77 lakh with 132 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 53 days now. The active cases comprise 0.24% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.39%, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.
A decline of 1,646 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.75%. It has been less than two percent for the last 77 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.60%. It has been below one percent for the last 36 days, according to the ministry.
The cumulative doses of vaccines administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 137.67 crore. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. The 132 new fatalities include 96 from Kerala and nine each from Maharashtra. and West Bengal. Kerala has been reconciling COVID-19 deaths for the past few days so the death tally of the state is high.
The ministry stressed that more than 70% 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.