COVID-19 news: With 2.17 lakh cases, India records highest single-day spike

India recorded 2,17,353 daily coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours as states face shortages of hospital beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccine doses, on Friday (April 16). The fresh cases in the deadly second wave took the total caseload to over 1.42 crore.

As many as 1,18,302 discharges and 1,185 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said.

With a steady increase for the 37th day in a row, the active cases have increased to 15,69,743, comprising 10.98 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate dropped to 87.80 per cent.

The active caseload was at its lowest at 1,35,926 on February 12 and it was at its highest at 10,17,754 on September 18, 2020.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,25,47,866, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.22 per cent, the data stated. 

(With agency inputs)