India's COVID-19 count at 18,55,746, Maharashtra continues to be worst hit

With a single-day spike of 52,050 COVID-19 cases, India's COVID-19 count reached 18,55,746, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

803 COVID-19 related deaths were reported today. The total cases include 5,86,298 active cases, 12,30,510 cured/discharged/migrated and 38,938 deaths, the Health Ministry added.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state as it has a total of 1,47,324 active cases and 15,842 deaths. A total of 4,50,196 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state up to Monday, according to Union Ministry of Health.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,063 COVID-19 cases, 6,501 discharged and 108 deaths today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 2,68,285, including 2,08,784 discharged, 55,152 active cases and 4,349 deaths.

Delhi reported 674 COVID-19 cases, 972 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 12 deaths today. The total positive cases here rises to 1,39,156 including 1,25,226 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4033 deaths.

4,108 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 5,187 Rapid antigen tests conducted today. 10,83,097 tests done so far in the national capital.

Meanwhile, India recorded the highest single-day testing by conducting over 6.6 lakh tests to diagnose COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

"In its fight against COVID-19, India scales a new high of 6,61,715 tests in the last 24 hours," said the Health Ministry in a tweet.

A total of 2,08,64,206 samples for COVID-19 have been tested across the country so far, said the Health Ministry. As many as 390 cases, 824 recovered and 10 deaths were reported in Jammu and Kashmir today, the total number of cases in the Union Territory to 22,396, including 7,123 active cases, 14,856 recovered and 417 deaths.

Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services, Puducherry informed that 168 new COVID-19 positive cases, 96 discharged and one death was reported in the UT. A total number of cases now at 4,146 including 1,552 active cases, 2,537 recovered cases and 57 deaths.

According to the Union Ministry of Health, Gujarat has 14,599 active cases and 47,478 people have been discharged so far. The toll is 2,508.

Similarly, there are 74,477 active COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. The death toll in the state is 2,594.

West Bengal has 21,683 active cases with 54,818 people have been discharged and 1,731 deaths so far.

40,191 active cases are in Uttar Pradesh while 55,393 people have been discharged. The death toll of the state is 1,778 so far.

Uttarakhand has 3,172 active case and 90 deaths due to the virus so far, Union Health Ministry said.

According to the Union Health Ministry, over 50 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in India have taken place among people aged 60 years and above and 37 per cent deaths have been reported among patients in the age group of 45 to 60 years.

While the number of recovered COVID-19 patients is increasing daily and is now over double the number of active cases.

Addressing a press conference, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health said that the case fatality rate (CFR) is lowest since the first lockdown. Meanwhile, Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR said that at present, the country has three Indian COVID-19 vaccines which are in different phases of clinical testing.

"At the present moment, we have three Indian vaccines which are in different phases of clinical testing. The two vaccines -- Bharat Biotech vaccine and DNA vaccine of Zydus Cadila have completed phase 1 and will begin phase two while third is Oxford vaccine," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )