India reported 10,549 new COVID-19 cases and 488 deaths in the last 24 hours, data from the union ministry of health confirmed on Thursday. India’s infection tally now stands at 3,45,55,431, with the death toll pushed to 4,67,468. Active cases have risen by 193 to 1,10,133 – the lost tally in 538 days. They comprise less that 1% of the total caseload, which is the lowest since March 2020. 

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10,949 patients recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s total recovery tally to 3,39,77,830 . The national recovery rate stands at 98.33%, the highest since March 2020. According to data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 63,25,24,259  samples have been tested for COVID-19 across the country so far. 7,83,567 samples were tested on Tuesday.

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The daily positivity rate stands at 0.80% and has stayed below 2% for the last 53 days. The weekly positivity rate has been recorded at 0.93% and has stayed below 2% for the last 63 days. An additional 83,88,824 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the last 24 hours across the country. India’s cumulative vaccination tally has now reached 1,20,27,03,659. India’s mass vaccination campaign was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16. 

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Of the 7579 new cases, 12,202 recoveries & 236 deaths in the last 24 hours, Kerala reported 3698 cases, 7515 recoveries and 75 deaths. 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.