The death toll climbed to 5,16,479 with 127 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. The active cases comprise?0.06 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, it showed.

A reduction of 1,562?cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in 24 hours. The daily positivity rate and the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.41?per cent, the ministry said.

The last 24 hours saw a total of 4,31,973 COVID-19?tests being conducted. India has so far conducted over?78.26 crore tests, it said. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,24,65,122. The case fatality rate was recorded at?1.20 per cent, it added. The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive have exceeded 181.21?crores.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 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, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crores on May 4, 2021, and three crores on June 23. The 127 new fatalities include 118 from Kerala.

Of the total 5,16,479 deaths reported so far in the country, 1,43,766 were from Maharashtra, 67,315 from Kerala, 40,035 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,146 from Delhi, 23,492 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,194 from West Bengal.

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 state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

With PTI inputs.