India records 38,079 COVID-19 cases, 560 deaths in the last 24 hours

Representational Image (Credits: PTI)

New Delhi: India recorded 38,079 new COVID-19 cases, which took the infection tally to 3,10,64,908, while the death toll reached 4,13,091 with 560 more fatalities, the Union Health Ministry informed on Saturday (July 17, 2021). India's active coronavirus cases have now increased to 4,24,025. 

The Union health ministry said that active COVID-19 cases have decreased by 6,397 in a span of 24 hours. The weekly positivity rate stands at 2.10 percent. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.91 percent and it has been less than three percent for 26 consecutive days, the ministry said.

The total number of samples tested up to 16th July is 44,20,21,954 including 19,98,715 samples tested yesterday, revealed the Indian Council of Medical Research on Saturday. 

The 560 new fatalities included 167 deaths from Maharashtra and 130 from Kerala, the ministry said. In total, 4,13,091 deaths have been reported in the country, including 1,26,727 from Maharashtra, 36,079 from Karnataka, 33,652 from Tamil Nadu, 25,023 from Delhi, 22,711 from Uttar Pradesh, 17,980 from West Bengal and 16,215 from Punjab.

The ministry said that more than 70 percent 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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. 

(With PTI inputs)