The active cases have increased to 4,03,840 and comprise 1.28 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.38 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Cumulatively, 12,16,46,175 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose and 45,98,664 have received the second dose across the 37 states and Union territories since the start of the third phase of the nationwide vaccination drive, it added.
India recorded 59,117 fresh cases on Thursday, the highest single-day count in the country in 159 days, with Maharashtra hitting another all-time high of 35,952 new infections in a single day. The day's death toll in India was 255, above 250 for the second time in the last three days.
A single-day spike of 46,951 infections was recorded on March 22, highest since November 11. Prior to this, the country registered an increase in the new cases for 12 consecutive days.
Testing levels in several states have gone down during periods when their positivity rate - the proportion of tests yielding a positive result -- is increasing. This is the opposite of what you would expect, which is that states ramp up testing as their positivity rate increases.
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