India recorded 33,750 new COVID-19 cases and 123 deaths in last 24 hours, data from the Union Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday. India’s total infection caseload now stands at 3,49,22,882, with the death toll pushed to 4,81,893. 

The country has also recorded 1,700 confirmed cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the ministry said. 639 of the patients have recovered or migrated, the ministry added.

Maharashtra (510) has reported the highest number of omicron infections. Delhi (351), Kerala (156), Gujarat (136), Tamil Nadu (121) and Rajasthan (120) are the other states that have reported over a hundred omicron cases. 

The more transmissible ‘variant of concern’ has been detected in 23 states and Union Territories so far. 

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Meanwhile, active cases have increased by 22,781 to 1,45,582. They account for 0.42% of the total caseload. 

10,846 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery count to 3,42,95,407. The national recovery rate stands at 98.20%. The national mortality rate stands at 1.38%. 

Data from the Indian Council of Medical Reasearch (ICMR) confirmed a total of 68,09,50,476 samples have been tested for COVID-19 across the country. 8,78,990 of those samples were tested in the last 24 hours. 

The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.84%, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 1.68%. 

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India’s cumulative vaccination count has reached 1,45,68,89,306 after 23,30,706 doses were administered in the last 24 hours. 

On Monday, India began vaccinating children aged 15-18. The indigenously produced Covaxin, developed by Hydrerabad-based pharmaceutical company Bharat Biotech, is the only vaccine being administered to the youngsters. 

India’s mass vaccination campaign was launched on January 16, 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

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.