India records 62,714 new Covid cases in highest single-day spurt of 2021 so far

Covid cases in India have registered a steady increase for 18 days in row, with active cases rising to 4,86,310. There have been 312 deaths over the past 24 hours.

Medics collect samples from students for Covid-19 test at Andhra University Engineering College in Visakhapatnam, Saturday, 27 March, 2021. | PTI

PTI, 28 March 21, New Delhi: India saw 62,714 new coronavirus infections in a day, the highest single day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,19,71,624, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

Registering a steady increase for the 18th day in row, the active cases have increased to 4,86,310 comprising 4.06 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 94.58 per cent, the data stated.

The 62,714 new cases were reported in a span of 24 hours, the highest since October 16, 2020, while the death toll increased to 1,61,552 with 312 daily new fatalities, the highest in around three months, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The daily death toll of 312 is the highest since December 25, 2020 when 336 new deaths were reported.

As many as 63,371 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on October 16.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,13,23,762, while the case fatality rate stood at 1.35 per cent, the data stated.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 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.

According to the ICMR, 24,09,50,842 samples have been tested up to March 27 with 11,81,289 samples being tested on Saturday.