NEW DELHI: India’s Covid-19 tally climbed to 3,46,74,744 as the country recorded 8,503 fresh infections in 24 hours, as per the Union health ministry data on Friday.
The country also reported 624 new deaths in 24 hours, taking the toll to 4,74,735, according to government data.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 43 days now.

The active caseload has risen to 94,943. Active cases comprises 0.27 per cent of total infections in India. The recovery rate in the country stands at 98.36 per cent, the highest since March 2020,the health ministry said.
An increase of 201 active cases has been recorded in a span of 24 hours, the government said.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.66 per cent. It has been less than 2 per cent for the last 67 days.
The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.72 per cent. It has been below 1 per cent for the last 26 days, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recovered from the disease has risen to 3,41,05,066, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 per cent.
The total number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 131.18 crore.
India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020; 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, crossed 80 lakh on October 29; 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore Covid-19 cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
The 624 fresh deaths include 256 from Chandigarh, 225 from Kerala, and 94 from Goa.
For Chandigarh, 256 deaths since March 2020 have been reconciled keeping in view the broadened definition of Covid-19 deaths, according to new guidelines after due field investigation and scrutiny of records. Out of these 256 deaths, 159 are already part of the line list of Covid-19, the ministry said.
Of the 225 deaths in Kerala, 52 were logged over the last few days and 173 were designated as Covid-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, a state government release said on Thursday.
According to state media bulletin of Goa, 94 additional deaths from August 2020 to June 2021 are added to cumulative deaths and have been reported late, the ministry said.
A total of 4,74,735 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,41,211 from Maharashtra, 42,239 from Kerala, 38,253 from Karnataka, 36,575 from Tamil Nadu, 25,100 from Delhi, 22,911 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,575 from West Bengal.
The Health Ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent 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 statewise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
(With inputs from Agencies)