India records 24,492 new COVID-19 cases, total vaccinations cross 3 crore

Picture credit: Reuters

New Delhi: In a significant development, the total vaccination coverage in India crossed 3.29 crore. India recorded 24,492 new COVID-19 cases, registering more than 20,000 cases for the sixth day in a row, taking the infection tally past 1.14 crore, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday (March 16).

India also recorded the highest vaccinations in a day with over 3 million vaccine doses administered. Coverage of beneficiaries aged over 60 years has crossed 1 crore in just 15 days, reported the Health Ministry.

The total cases in the country rose to 1,14,09,831, while the death toll increased to 1,58,856 with 131 fresh fatalities, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.

Registering a spike in cases for the sixth day in a row, the active caseload has increased to 2,23,432, which now comprises 1.96 per cent of the total infections. The recovery rate has further dropped to 96.65 per cent, it said.

As many as 26,624 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 20.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,27,543, while the case fatality rate dropped to 1.39 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, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one crore-mark on December 19.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 22,82,80,763 samples have been tested till March 15, with 8,73,350 samples tested on Monday.