India registered 1,938 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, noting a spike of 160 cases in comparison to Wednesday’s tally. The death toll was also increased by 67 deaths linked to COVID-19 infections, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry.

Total active COVID-19 cases in India stool at 22,427 and the daily positivity rate was measured at 0.29% on Thursday. 

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The death toll, after adding the 67 registered on Thursday, had reached 5,16,672, according to news agency ANI citing government data.

A total of 5,16,672 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,43,769 from Maharashtra, 67,476 from Kerala, 40,042 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,148 from Delhi, 23,492 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,197 from West Bengal.

The health ministry said that more than 70% 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, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,24,75,588, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.20%. The cumulative doses administered, so far, under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive have exceeded 182.23 crore. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed two crore cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23.

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Meanwhile, the BA.2 variant of omicron has been surfacing across the globe and is even nearly dominant in the United States. Nearly 35% of the new cases in the United States are now connected to the new variant. 

However, experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that the variant seems to be spread faster, but does not evade the protection of vaccines.