The number of fresh COVID-19 cases was recorded below 20,000 in India on Saturday, taking the country's caseload to 1,03,05,788, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease crossed 99 lakh, according to the health ministry. A total of 19,079 people tested positive for the coronavirus infection in a day, while the death toll due to the disease climbed to 1,49,218 in the country with 224 new fatalities, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 99,06,387, pushing the national recovery rate to 96.12 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stood at 1.45 per cent. The number of active COVID-19 cases remained below three lakh for the 12th consecutive day.

There are 2,50,183 active coronavirus cases in the country, which accounts for 2.43 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. 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, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 17,39,41,658 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the country till January 1, including 8,29,964 on Friday.

The 224 new fatalities include 59fromMaharashtra, 26from West Bengal,23 from Kerala and 21 from Delhi. Of the 1,49,218 COVID-19 deaths reported in the country so far, Maharashtra has accounted for the highest of 49,580, followed by Tamil Nadu (12,135), Karnataka (12,096), Delhi (10,557), West Bengal (9,738), Uttar Pradesh (8,379), Andhra Pradesh (7,108) and Punjab (5,349).

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that a state-wise distribution of the figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.