India records highest single-day spike in coronavirus cases this year

India recorded 28,903 new coronavirus infections, the highest so far this year, taking the COVID-19 tally to1,14,38,734,according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll increased to1,59,044with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering an increasefor the seventh day in a row, the total active caseload has increased to2,34,406which now comprises 2.05per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.56 per cent, the data stated.

As many as 30,254 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 13.

Thenumber of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,45,284,while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.39 per cent, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,30 lakhonAugust 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and50 lakh onSeptember 16.It went past60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh onOctober 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh onNovember 20 andsurpassed theone-crore mark on December 19.

According to the ICMR,22,92,49,784 samples have been tested up toMarch 16with9,69,021 samples being tested on Tuesday.