653 Omicron Cases, Most In Maharashtra; Daily Covid Cases Marginally Down

India has logged 653 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus across 21 states and UTs so far out of which 186 people have recovered or migrated, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.

Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 167 cases followed by Delhi at 165, Kerala 57, Telangana 55, Gujarat 49 and Rajasthan 46.

With 6,358 people testing positive for coronavirus infections in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,47,99,691.

The active cases have declined to 75,456, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of deaths have climbed to 4,80,290 with 293 fresh fatalities, the data stated.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 61 days now.

The active cases have declined to 75,456 comprising 0.22 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.40 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

A decrease of 385 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of  24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.61 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for last 85 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.64 per cent. It has been below one per cent for the last 44 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,42,43,945, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.38 per cent.The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 142.47 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 one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 The 293 new fatalities include 236 from Kerala and 21 from Maharashtra.

Of the 236 deaths in Kerala, 23 were recorded over the last few days and 213 designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Suprem A total of 4,80,290 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,41,454 from Maharashtra, 46,822 from Kerala, 38,316 from Karnataka,36,744 from Tamil Nadu, 25,106 from Delhi, 22,915 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,726 from West Bengal.

The 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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.