COVID-19 update: 68,020 new cases in last 24 hours, highest single-day rise so far this year

India has reported more than 60,000 fresh coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry update released Monday, March 29 morning. The country has recorded 68,020 new COVID-19 cases which is the highest single-day spike of 2021 so far and the highest single-day increase in cases since October 11, 2020.  The country has been experiencing a steep rise in COVID-19 cases for the past 19 days.

With the addition of fresh cases logged in the past 24 hours, India's total COVID-19 cases count reached 1,20,39,644. Apart from the fresh cases, 291 COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours. The nation's COVID-19 death toll has reached 1,61,843.

In the last 24 hours, 32,231 COVID-19 recoveries were recorded. So far, 1,13,55,993 people have managed to recover from the coronavirus. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 5,21,808.

On the COVID-19 vaccination front, 6,05,30,435 doses of the jab have been administered to beneficiaries as part of the nationwide inoculation drive.

As many as 74,383 new cases were recorded in a span of 24 hours on October 11.

The active caseload was at its lowest at 1,35,926 on February 12 comprising 1.25 per cent of the total infections.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,13,55,993, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

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

According to the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), 24,18,64,161 samples have been tested up to March 28 with 9,13,319 samples being tested on Saturday.

The 291 new fatalities include 108 from Maharashtra, 69 from Punjab, 15 from Chhattisgarh, 12 each from Kerala and Karnataka, and 11 each from Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

A total of 1,61,843 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 54,181 from Maharashtra, 12,670 from Tamil Nadu, 12,504 from Karnataka, 11,006 from Delhi, 10,324 from West Bengal, 8,786 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,205 from Andhra Pradesh, and 6,690 from Punjab.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent 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.

(With PTI inputs)

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