Covid-19 pandemic: India reports over 20,000 new cases after 145 days

India witnessed an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases as it recorded 20,139 fresh infections (19 per cent higher than yesterday) in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Thursday.

This is an increase of 3,233 infections as compared to yesterday. The country reported 16,906 new COVID cases on Wednesday.

The active cases have now gone up to 1,36,076 and constitute 0.31 per cent of the total caseload in the country.

The daily positivity rate was observed to be 5.10 per cent in the last 24 hours, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded to be 4.37, the Health Ministry informed.

On Wednesday, the daily positivity rate was at 3.68 per cent and the total weekly positivity rate was 4.26 per cent.

The recovery rate in the country is currently at 98.49 per cent. As many as 16,482 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours thereby taking total recoveries to 4,30,28,356.

The government data added that 38 new fatalities have pushed India's COVID-19 death toll to 5,25,557.

A total of 3,94,774 COVID samples were tested during this period. 86.81 crore tests have been conducted in the country so far.

Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 13,44,714 COVID vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours. A total of 1,99,27,27,559 vaccines have been administered so far.

In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID vaccination drive, the Union Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs.