India logs 2,075 fresh COVID-19 cases, 71 deaths

PTI, Mar 19, 2022, 10:01 AM IST

India’s COVID-19 tally increased to 4,30,06,080 on Saturday with 2,075 fresh infections, while the active cases declined further to 27,802, according to Union health ministry data.

The death toll due to the viral disease climbed to 5,16,352 with 71 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.73 per cent, the health ministry said.

A reduction of 1,379 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.56 per cent and the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.41 per cent, the ministry said.

The last 24 hours saw a total of 3,70,514 COVID-19 tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over 78.22 crore tests, it said.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,24,61,926. The case fatality rate was recorded at 1.20 per cent, it added.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive have exceeded 181.04 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, 2021, and three crore on June 23.

The 71 new fatalities include 59 from Kerala.

Of the total 5,16,352 deaths reported so far in the country, 1,43,765 were from Maharashtra, 67,197 from Kerala, 40,033 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,145 from Delhi, 23,492 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,193 from West Bengal.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent 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.