New Delhi: India recorded 12,584 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the lowest in around seven months, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 1,04,79,179, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The death toll increased to 1,51,327 with 167 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,01,11,294 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate to 96.49 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.44 per cent.
The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh.
There are 2,16,558 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 2.07 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 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.
According to the ICMR, 18,26,52,887 samples have been tested up to January 11 with 8,97,056 samples being tested on Monday.
About 82.25 per cent of the daily new cases were being reported from nine states -- Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Gujarat.
Meanwhile, the most-awaited mass vaccination drive is slated to begin from January 16, with approval of two vaccines. The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly three crore people in the first phase of the drive.
The vaccine will be offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with two crore frontline and essential workers, 26 crore people above the age of 50 and one crore below 50 with comorbidities.
(With Agency Inputs)