India records over 20,000 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours for 6th consecutive day; total infections at 1.14 crore

New Delhi: India recorded 24,492 new COVID-19 cases, registering more than 20,000 cases for the sixth day in a row, taking the infection tally past 1.14 crore, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday.The total cases in the country rose to 1,14,09,831, while the toll increased to 1,58,856 with 131 fresh fatalities, the ministry data updated at 8 am showed.Registering a spike in cases for the sixth day in a row, the active caseload has increased to 2,23,432, which now comprises 1.96 percent of the total infections. The recovery rate has further dropped to 96.65 percent, it said. As many as 26,624 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on 20 December.The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,27,543, while the case fatality rate dropped to 1.39 percent, the data stated.India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on 7 August last year, 30 lakh on 23 August, 40 lakh on 5 September and 50 lakh on 16 September. It went past 60 lakh on 28 September, 70 lakh on 11 October, 80 lakh on 29 October, 90 lakh on 20 November and surpassed the one crore-mark on 19 December.According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 22,82,80,763 samples have been tested till 15 March, with 8,73,350 samples tested on Monday.