NEW DELHI, Dec 31, 2021 (BSS/PTI) - India saw the highest single-day rise
of 309 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, taking the country's
tally of such cases to 1,270, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

  It also recorded 16,764 fresh COVID-19 cases and 220 more fatalities due to
the viral disease. Of the 1,270 patients infected with the Omicron variant of
the virus, 374 have either recuperated or migrated, according to the
ministry's data updated at 8 am.

   Of the 23 states and Union territories that have recorded Omicron cases so
far, Maharashtra has registered the highest number of 450, followed by Delhi
(320), Kerala (109) and Gujarat (97).

   The daily rise in the number of coronavirus cases crossed the 16,000 mark
after 64 days, taking the country's COVID-19 tally to 3,48,38,804, while the
number of active cases of the infection has gone up to 91,361, according to
the data.

   The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 4,81,080 with 220
more fatalities, the data stated.

  The country had witnessed 16,156 fresh coronavirus cases on October 27.

  The 91,361 active Covid cases account for 0.26 per cent of the total
caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.36 per
cent, the ministry said.

   An increase of 8,959 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 tally in a
span of 24 hours.

  The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.34 per cent. It has remained
below two per cent for 88 days now.

   The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.89 per cent. It has remained
below one per cent for 47 days now, according to the ministry.

   The number of patients who have recuperated has gone up to 3,42,66,363,
while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.38 per cent.

   The cumulative number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country
so far has exceeded 144.54 crore.

   India's COVID-19 tally 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, 80 lakh on October 29,
90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19 last year.

   The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore coronavirus cases on
May 4 this year and the three-crore mark on June 23.

   The 220 new fatalities include 164 from Kerala and 22 from Maharashtra.

   Of the 4,81,080 Covid deaths reported so far in the country, 1,41,518 are
from Maharashtra, 47,441 from Kerala, 38,327 from Karnataka, 36,765 from
Tamil Nadu, 25,107 from Delhi, 22,915 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,757 from West
Bengal.

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