India's COVID-19 caseload climbed to 1,05,57,985 on Sunday with 15,144 more people testing positive for the disease, according to the Union health ministry data.
The death toll increased to 1,52,274 with 181 more fatalities, the Union health ministry data showed. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh on Sunday. There are 2,08,826 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which constitute 1.98 percent of the total caseload, the data showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,01,96,885, pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.58 percent. The country's COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 percent.
According to the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 18,65,44,868 samples were tested for COVID-19 till January 16, of which 7,79,377 samples were tested yesterday.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent 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 and added that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
Meanwhile, the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Termed as the world's largest vaccination programme, covering the entire length and breadth of the country, the drive aims to first vaccinate millions of its healthcare and frontline workers and reach an estimated 3 crore people by the end of its first phase.
Here's state-wise data of active cases and deaths released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
