New Delhi: The number of daily Coronavirus cases in India hit a record high with over 3.14 lakh new infections being reported, pushing the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,59,30,965, according to the Union Health ministry data updated on Thursday.
A total of 3,14,835 fresh infections were registered in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll increased to 1,84,657 with a record 2,104 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Registering a steady increase for the 43rd day in a row, the active cases have increased to 22,91,428 comprising 14.38 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 84.46 per cent.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,34, 54,880. The case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.16 per cent, the data stated.
More than 30 lakh vaccine doses were given till 8 pm on Thursday, pushing the cumulative vaccine coverage to more than 13.53 crore doses.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury's son Ashish died of COVID-19 at a Gurgaon hospital on Thursday morning.
The death of the journalist who would have celebrated his 35th birthday on June 9 was announced by Yechury and the CPI(M) Politburo.
Ashish was recovering well at Gurgaon's Medanta Hospital, people close to the family added, describing his sudden death at 5.30 am after a two-week battle with COVID-19 as a shock.
"It is with great sadness that I have to inform that I lost my elder son Ashish Yechury to COVID-19 this morning. I want to thank all those who gave us hope and who treated him — doctors, nurses, frontline health workers, sanitation workers and innumerable others who stood by us," Yechury said on Twitter.
Ashish, who studied at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, worked in several publications, including the Times of India in Delhi, before moving to Pune.
Ashish also worked at NewsLaundry, IBNLive and Pune Mirror earlier.
Senior Congress leader and former Delhi government minister A K Walia died of COVID-19 in the early hours of Thursday, party leaders said. He was 72.