India on Saturday recorded 743 fresh COVID-19 infections, the highest single-day rise in 225 days, while the number of active cases stood at 3,997, the Union health ministry said.

Seven new fatalities -- three from Kerala, two from Karnataka and one each from Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant. The daily numbers were in lakhs at the peak of the pandemic, which began in early 2020. More than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh have died across the country in four years.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website. According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far in the country.