New Delhi: India reported 18,815 fresh cases, 15,899 recoveries, and 38 deaths, in the last 24 hours while active cases remained above the one lakh mark at 1,22,335 cases. The daily positivity rate has also increased to 4.96%. India's daily case tally has seen a surge as compared to Thursday when the country was reported to have logged 18,930 fresh cases and 35 deaths in 24 hours. The active COVID cases surged to 1,22,335 from 1,19,457, an increase of 2,878.  The weekly positivity rate stands at 4.09%.


The total case tally of the country now stands at 4,34,69,234. India's total death toll climbed to 5,25,343 after the addition of fresh fatalities.


The active cases comprise 0.28% of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.51%, the ministry said.


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COVID Cases In States


Kerala 


Kerala registered 3,310 fresh coronavirus cases and 19 related deaths on Thursday, pushing the total number of those affected by the disease in the state to 66,66,959 and toll to 70,108.


According to the COVID-19 dashboard of the Kerala government, there are 28,021 active cases in the state, and 4,172 people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.


West Bengal


West Bengal reported 2,889 fresh COVID-19 cases, raising the tally to 20,42,831, as the upward graph of new infections continues in the state, an official bulletin said on Thursday. The death toll also mounted to 21,233 after three more fatalities were registered since Wednesday, it said.


The state had logged 2,352 single-day infections on Wednesday.


West Bengal now has 16,546 active cases, while 20,05,052 people have recovered from the disease so far, the bulletin said.


Maharashtra 


Maharashtra on Thursday recorded 2,678 new coronavirus cases and eight pandemic-related deaths, the state health department stated.


The state also reported 20 new infections of BA.2.75 subvariant of Omicron, as per the official release.


With 3,238 patients recovering, the tally of recoveries reached 78,28,352. The recovery rate stands at 97.91 per cent.


On Wednesday, Maharashtra had reported 3,142 coronavirus cases and seven fatalities. 


There are 19,413 active cases in Maharashtra now.