India reported 22,431 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 19% higher than yesterday’s figure when the country reported 18,833 Covid cases but the active caseload declined to 2,44,198, the lowest in 204 days, according to Union Health Ministry data released here on Thursday.

The active cases comprise 0.72 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.95 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

During the same period 318 Covid-related deaths were recorded, pushing the total toll to 4,49,856, according to the Health Ministry.

With 22,431 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,38,94,312, while the active cases declined to 2,44,198, the lowest in 204 days, according to the data.

A decrease of 2,489 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 14,09,825 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 57,68,03,867.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.57 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for last 38 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.68 per cent. It has been below three per cent for the last 104 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,32,00,258, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 92.63 crore.

The 318 new fatalities include 134 from Kerala and 90 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,49,856 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,39,362 from Maharashtra, 37,854 from Karnataka, 35,707 from Tamil Nadu, 25,811 from Kerala, 25,088 from Delhi, 22,896 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,863 from West Bengal.

Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh logged 41 new COVID-19 cases and 2 fresh fatalities, the ministry said.

Arunachal Pradesh’s COVID-19 tally soared to 54,812 after that.

Two fully vaccinated men succumbed to the disease, pushing the northeastern state’s coronavirus death toll to 279, sources said.

The state now has 425 active cases, while 54,108 people have been cured of the disease so far, including 28 on Wednesday, he said, adding that the recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stood at 98.71 per cent.

With 43,09,525 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage crossed the 92.63 crore mark as per provisional reports till 7 a.m. on Thursday. This has been achieved through 90,14,182 sessions.

Over 93.94 crore vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the Centre as well as the direct state procurement category. However, more than 7.64 cr unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered, the Health Ministry data said.