There were 1,209 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, which is also the highest fatality in a single day, with the toll reaching 76,271 so far.

 

Out of the total cases, 9,43,480 are active, 35,42,663 have recovered so far as India rallies just behind the US. The first case was reported in the US on January 21, while in India it was on January 30. The US accounts for the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 63,95,904 and 1,91,753, respectively.

 

India has breached US' single day tally of cases, but the US still holds the single day deaths record of 2,494 on April 15.

 

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are the worst-hit states. They account for over more than 60 per cent of the active cases, according to the Ministry.

 

The recovery rate stands at 77.74 per cent, while the fatality rate has dipped to 1.68 per cent, the Ministry data showed.

 

According to the data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India conducted a record 11,63,542 tests in a single day on Thursday, taking the total number of samples tested so far to 5,40,97,975.

 

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and ICMR have jointly written to all the States and UTs and urged them to ensure that the all symptomatic negative cases of rapid antigen test are mandatorily retested using the gold standard RT-PCR test to ensure that such symptomatic negative cases do not remain untested and spread the disease

 

The Ministry has also urged the States and UTs to urgently establish a monitoring mechanism in every district, a designated officer or a team, and at the State level to follow up such cases.