India records 1.68 lakh new COVID-19 cases, 277 deaths in last 24 hours; 6.5% lower infection than yesterday

India registered 1,68,063 new cases in the last 24 hours, 6.5% lower than the previous day, Union health ministry data showed on Tuesday. This brought the total caseload to 3,58,75,790. As many as 277 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, increasing the total reported death count to 4,84,213.

Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states by the Covid pandemic, reported 33,470 new COVID-19 cases and eight deaths on Monday.

The active cases rose to 8,21,446, the highest in 208 days, while the death toll climbed to 4,84,213 with 277 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Of the total 4,461 cases of the Omicron variant, 1,711 people have recovered or migrated so far.

Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 1,247 cases followed by Rajasthan at 645, Delhi 546, Karnataka 479 and Kerala 350.

The active cases comprise 2.29 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 96.36 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 97,827 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

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.