New Covid-19 cases in India touched a new low in around 38 days on Monday, with 2,22,315 new infections as 4,454 more people succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours, data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare showed.
The country now has 27,20,716 active cases as the total caseload stands at 2,67,52,447. Total recoveries in the past 24 hours were 3,02,544.
The worst affected after the United States, India's death toll from the fatal disease is now 3,03,720, the only other country after the US and Brazil to have crossed this grim figure.
Even as the country grapples with a surge in deaths, several states have begun showing a dip in daily cases. The concern, however, remains rural areas where experts believe the pandemic is widely underreported, worsened by the lack of healthcare facilities.
The latest errant adding to Covid woes is the 'black fungus' or mucormycosis, which has now been declared an epidemic by several states.
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. India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4.
According to the ICMR, 33,05,36,064 samples have been tested up to May 23 with 19,28,127 samples being tested on Sunday.
(With PTI inputs)