NEWDELHI, Dec 18, 2021 (BSS/PTI)-India logged 7,145 new coronavirus
infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,47,33,194, while the
active cases declined to 84,565, according to the Union health ministry data
updated on Saturday.

  The death toll climbed to 4,77,158 with 289 more fatalities, according to
the data updated at 8 am.

   The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below
15,000 for the last 51 days now.

   The active cases comprise 0.24 per cent of the total infections, the
lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was
recorded at 98.38 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the health ministry
said.

   A decline of 1,850 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload
in a span of 24 hours.

  The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.57 per cent. It has been less
than 2 per cent for last 75 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at
0.62 per cent. It has been below 1 per cent for the last 34 days, according
to the health ministry.

  The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to
3,41,71,471, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 per cent. The
cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide
COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 136.66 crore.

  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.

  The 289 new fatalities include 243 from Kerala and 12 from Maharashtra.

  Kerala has been reconciling its Covid fatalities for the last few days.
Therefore, the death toll of the state is high.

  A total of 4,77,158 deaths have been reported so far in the country,
including 1,41,329 from Maharashtra, 44,189 from Kerala, 38,282 from
Karnataka, 36,667 from Tamil Nadu, 25,100 from Delhi, 22,915 from Uttar
Pradesh and 19,652 from West Bengal.

  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 the state-wise
distribution of figures is subject to further verification and
reconciliation.