India recorded 7,495 new COVID-19 cases and 484 deaths in the last 24 hours, data from the Union Ministry of Health confirmed on Thursday. India’s total virus caseload has now reached 3,47,65,976, with the death toll pushed to 4,78,759. 

The ministry also confirmed that the total number of cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has reached 236 across the country, with Maharastra (65) reporting the highest. Out of the 236 cases, 104 have recovered or migrated. 

The omicron variant has been detected in 16 states and Union Territories so far – Maharashtra (65), Delhi (64), Telangana (24), Rajasthan (21), Karnataka (19), Gujarat (14), Jammu and Kashmir (3), Andhra Pradesh (2), Odisha (2), Uttar Pradesh (2), Chandigarh (1), Ladakh (1), Tamil Nadu (1), Uttarakhand (1) and West Bengal (1). 

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Meanwhile, active cases have increased by 101 to 78,291. They comprise 0.23% of the total caseload, the lowest since March 2020. 

6,960 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 3,42,08,926. The national recovery rate has improved to 98.40%, the highest since March 2020.

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The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 0.62% and it has stayed below 2% for the last 80 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.59% and it been below 1% for the last 39 days. 

India’s cumulative vaccination count has reached 1,39,69,76,774 after the government administered 70,17,671 doses in the last 24 hours. Over 60% of the country’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, the ministry said.

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 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.