In a relief, India's daily Covid case count drops to 2.59 lakh

New Delhi: Fresh new COVID cases in India have dropped to their lowest at 2,59,551 on Friday, offering a small relief to the healthcare system grappling with lack of medical supplies and added misery of black fungus infection in covid recovered patients of several states.

However the nation once gain breached the grim milestone after recording 4209 daily fatalities due to Covid-19, according to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, only 24 hours after recording less than 4,000 deaths.

India registered record deaths due to Covid on Wednesday with 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection in any country so far. It has surpassed the US's daily fatality of 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6. These three countries are the worst hit by the pandemic.

Fresh Covid cases came down below the three lakh mark for the first time on May 17 after touching a record high of 4,14,188 on May 7.

India's overall tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,60,31,991 with 30,27,925 active cases and 2,91,331 deaths so far.

After Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have the highest number of infections.

Maharashtra reported 29,911 new coronavirus positive cases and 984 deaths on Thursday, which took its caseload to 54,97,448 and death count to 85,355.

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 3,57,295 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 2,27,12,735 being cured of Covid to date.

The Health Ministry said that a total of 19,18,79,503 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 14,82,754 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 32,44,17,870 samples have been tested up to May 20 for Covid-19. Of these 20,61,683 samples were tested on Thursday.