India has conducted over 13.36 crore tests so far to detect COVID-19 cases, including 10,99,545 in a day, while the cumulative positivity rate in the country is sustained at low levels and the daily positivity rate has fallen below four per cent, the health ministry said on Tuesday. The country registered less than 40,000 fresh coronavirus cases in a span of 24 hours after six days. Since November 8, the number of daily cases has been sustained below the 50,000-mark, the ministry said. On an average, more than 10 lakh daily tests have ensured that the cumulative positivity rate is sustained at low levels, the ministry underlined, adding that it is presently following a downward trajectory. The tests per million (TPM) figure has increased to 96,871, it highlighted. India’s testing infrastructure has seen a significant boost with 2,134 laboratories across the country currently. In line with its commitment to conduct more than 10 lakh tests per day, 10,99,545 samples were tested in a span of 24 hours, the ministry said. “The cumulative national COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 6.87 per cent as on date, less than the seven per cent-mark, while the daily positivity rate is just 3.45 per cent. Higher volumes of testing eventually lead to a low positivity rate,” it said. There has been a sustained decrease in the number of active cases over the past few weeks, the ministry said, adding that 42,314 COVID-19 patients recovered from the disease and were discharged in a span of 24 hours. The active COVID-19 caseload of the country has fallen to 4,38,667 or merely 4.78 per cent of the total cases reported so far, while the number of recoveries has crossed 86 lakh, the ministry said, adding that 75.71 per cent of the new recoveries were concentrated in 10 states and Union territories. Delhi has reported the highest number of 7,216 single-day recoveries, followed by Kerala (5,425) and Maharashtra (3,729), it said. Further, 77.04 per cent of the fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from 10 states and Union territories. Delhi continued to report the highest number of daily cases at 4,454, followed by Maharashtra (4,153), the ministry said. A total of 480 case fatalities were reported in a span of 24 hours, it added. Ten states and Union territories accounted for 73.54 per cent of the new deaths. Delhi saw the maximum casualties (121), followed by West Bengal (47) and Maharashtra (30), the ministry observed. India’s COVID-19 caseload mounted to 91,77,840 with 37,975 fresh cases reported in a day, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,34,218 with 480 new fatalities, health ministry’s data updated at 8 am showed.
