Health workers carry the body of a man who died due to the coronavirus disease for his cremation in New Delhi. File/Reuters

Gulf Today Report

With 45,576 more coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. It taking the total of infections to 8.96 million, data from the health ministry said on Thursday.

India has witnessed a jump of over 50 per cent in such cases reported on Tuesday, pushing its cumulative tally to 89,58,483.

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As per Health Ministry data, the total death toll rose to 1,31,578 with 585 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, a jump of 24 per cent over the previous day's figure.

The death toll rises to 1,31,578 with 585 more fatalities in the last 24 hours.

One reason for the daily spike could be increased testing as 10,28,203 samples were tested on Wednesday after a long weekend when eight lakh samples on an average were tested, data from the Indian Council of Medical Research showed.

The South Asian nation has the world's second-highest number of COVID-19 infections, after the United States, but cases have been falling since hitting a peak in September.

On Wednesday, India reported 38,616 new cases and 449 deaths, and on Tuesday 29,154 new cases.

The active cases now total 4,43,303 as 83,83,602 people have recovered from the disease so far.

Deaths rose by 585, with the total now at 131,578, the ministry said.