New Delhi: India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,06,25,428with 14,545 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day,while the recoveries have surged to 1,02,83,708, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The death toll increased to 1,53,032with 163 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Thenumber of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,02,83,708 pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate of96.78 percent,while theCOVID-19casefatality rate stands at 1.44per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 2 lakh for the third consecutive day.There are1,88,688 active coronavirus infections in the country whichcomprise1.78per cent of the total caseload,the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7,30 lakhonAugust 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and50 lakh onSeptember 16.It went past60 lakh on September 28,70 lakh onOctober 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29,90 lakh onNovember 20 and surpassed theone-crore mark on December 19. According to the ICMR, 19,01,48,024 samples have been tested up toJanuary 21 with8,00,242 samples being tested on Thursday. The 163 new fatalities include 52 fromMaharashtra, 21 from Kerala, 15 from Punjab , 9 each from Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and 8 from Delhi.

A total of1,53,032deathshave been reported so far in the country including50,634 from Maharashtra followed by 12,299 from Tamil Nadu, 12,187 fromKarnataka,10,782 fromDelhi, 10,089 from West Bengal,8,597 from Uttar Pradesh and, 7,142 fromAndhra Pradesh. 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 itswebsite, adding that state-wisedistribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.