India recorded 3,016 new Covid cases in past 24 hours, a 40 per cent jump since yesterday. The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 2.7 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.71 per cent, according to the Union health ministry data. Thursday's infection count is the highest in nearly six months. India had reported 3,375 cases on October 2 last year.
The country's COVID-19 death count has increased to 5,30,862 with 14 deaths -- three reported by Maharashtra, two from Delhi and one reported by Himachal Pradesh in a span of 24 hours and eight reconciled by Kerala.