India News | COVID-19: Cases in India Cross 40-lakh Mark

New Delhi, Sept 4 (PTI) India's COVID-19 caseload hurtled past the 40-lakh mark on Friday night, just 13 days after it crossed 30 lakh, while the total number of recoveries too surged to 31,06,921, according to data from states and union territories.

Union health ministry data updated on Friday 8 am showed a single-day spike of  83,341 infections, taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to 39,36,747  while the death toll climbed to 68,472 with 1,096 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours.

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However, by night, a PTI tally showed India's COVID-19 caseload at 40,10,877, death toll at 69,546 and recoveries at 31,06,921. The tally has been compiled as per information provided by the states and union territories.

India is the third worst-hit nation by the pandemic in terms of COVID-19 cases and fatalities after the US and Brazil.

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The Union health ministry on Friday said a total of 30,37,151 people have recuperated from coronavirus infection taking the national recovery rate to 77.15 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.74 per cent.

The higher number of recoveries has also led to a steady enhancement in the difference between the recovered and active cases of infection, and this difference has crossed 22 lakh, as on date.

This has ensured that  8,31,124 active cases, which is the "actual caseload" of the country, currently comprises only 21.11 per cent of the total cases.  

Meanwhile, with more than 11.70 lakh samples being tested for COVID-19 for two successive days (Wednesday and Thursday), India's cumulative tests as on date surged to 4,66,79,145 while the daily positivity rate is still below 7.5 per cent  and the cumulative positivity rate is less than 8.5 per cent, the Health ministry said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)