Picture used for illustrative purposes only.

India reported on Saturday 173,790 new coronavirus infections during the previous 24 hours, its lowest daily rise in 45 days, while deaths rose by 3,617, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said. The fatalities have also remained below 4,000 for three consecutive days.

The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 27.7 million, with the death toll at 322,512, health ministry data showed.

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This is for the third time since April 13 that India has recorded less than two lakh cases of coronavirus. On May 25, India has recorded 196,000 cases of COVID-19, and 186,364 cases on May 28.

India's overall tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 27,729,247 with 222,8724 active cases, and 322,512 deaths, so far.

On May 25, India has recorded 196,000 cases of COVID-19, and 186,364 cases on May 28.

A total of 284,601 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 25,178,011 being cured from coronavirus till date, according to the Health Ministry.

In the last 18 days, India has recorded over 68,000 deaths. On May 24, India crossed a grim milestone of three-lakh deaths due to the coronavirus infections, thus becoming world's third country after the US and Brazil to cross three-lakh deaths.

India registered record deaths due to coronavirus exactly a week back with 4,529 deaths — the highest number of fatalities from COVI-19 infection in any country since the coronavirus outbreak was reported in China's Wuhan in December 2019.

The Health Ministry said that a total of 208,902,445 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 3,062,747 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

The fatalities have also remained below 4,000 for three consecutive days.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the United States and India are united in trying to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic together and Washington wants to make sure it takes action to help India with its coronavirus crisis.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who has spent the past week in the United States seeking help amid a devastating second wave of infections at home, told reporters while standing with Blinken at the State Department that India is grateful to the United States for strong support and solidarity.

"In the earlier days of COVID, India was there for the United States — something we will never forget," Blinken said. "And now we want to make sure that we're there for India as well."

Blinken said the partnership between the United States and India is "vital," "strong" and "increasingly productive."