Covid-19: India reports 36,571 fresh cases, 540 deaths

India added 36,571 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours while deaths rose by 540, according to the country’s health ministry.

The country's overall caseload now stands at 3.23 crore, while total fatalities are at 4.33 lakhs.

Kerala contributed 21,116 cases to the country's daily numbers, NDTV reported. The southern state has been contributing to more than 50 per cent of new infections in the country. Kerala has a test positivity rate of around 13.97 per cent.

Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in the country, reported 5,225 new infections and 154 fatalities in 24 hours. Just seven districts, including Pune, account for the bulk of the infections in Maharashtra, while half a dozen other districts have less than ten active cases currently, according to the state government.

Twenty-five fresh cases and two virus-related deaths were reported in Delhi on Thursday. The positivity rate in the national capital has dipped to 0.04 per cent, according to data shared by the city Health Department. The death count due to coronavirus infection in the national capital has risen to 25,079.

Overall, the daily positivity rate in the country has been below 3 per cent for the last 25 days and is presently at 1.94 per cent. Active cases constitute 1.12% of total cases, the lowest since March 2020, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate stands 97.46 per cent, the Union Health Ministry said.

India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage has reached 57.22 crore with 48.84 lakh vaccine doses administered till Thursday evening.

Over 87,000 people across the country have been reported Covid positive after the second dose of vaccination, while 46 per cent of those cases are from Kerala, top Health Ministry sources have told NDTV. Kerala reported close to 80,000 Covid cases after the first dose of vaccination, while 40,000 people were reported infected after the second dose, the sources said.