7.19L Covid samples tested in a day

India registers 64,399 cases, 861 deaths

New Delhi: With a highest single-day spike of 64,399 cases, India's Covid-19 tally zoomed past 21 lakh on Sunday, while the death toll climbed to 43,379 with 861 more fatalities, the Health Ministry said.

The total recoveries surged to 14,80,884 with record 53,879 more people recuperating in the past 24 hours, taking recovery rate to 68.78%. The case fatality rate has dropped 2.01%, as per the govt data.

There are 6,28,747 active cases of the coronavirus disease, comprising 29.20% of the total caseload in the country. The total corona cases have mounted to 21,53,010, including 43,379 deaths.

This is the third consecutive day the Covid-19 cases have increased by over 60,000. India had crossed the 20-lakh mark on Friday. As many as 7,19,364 samples were tested on Saturday, the highest in a day. Total 2,41,06,535 samples have been tested so far, said the Indian Council of Medical Research. "India is performing around 500 tests for detection of Covid-19 per minute and the per-day testing capacity has increased over five lakhs," scientist and ICMR media coordinator Lokesh Sharma said.

Of the 861 more deaths, 275 are from Maharashtra, 118 from Tamil Nadu, 97 from Andhra and 93 from Karnataka. 51 more people died from the pathogen in West Bengal, 47 in UP and 23 each in Punjab and Gujarat.

Delhi registered 16 more fatalities, followed by 15 in MP, 13 in Bihar, 12 each in Telangana and Odisha, 11 in Rajasthan and 10 in J&K.

Meanwhile, the Centre has asked the states and Union Territories to quickly process claims under the Rs50-lakh insurance scheme for frontline healthcare workers engaged in Covid duties as the cover is available till September.

If we look at the five-day moving average, we could see some kind of stabilization; I do not know whether it is true or random, that only time will tell. May be, there is something out there, which is indicating that we may have moved away from exponential rise and we may be stabilising. But that only time will tell. — VK Paul, Niti Aayog member