COVID-19: Cumulative tests for detection surge to 4,55,09,380

India's cumulative tests for detection of COVID-19 surged to 4,55,09,380 with a record 11,72,179 tests being conducted in a single day on Wednesday, ICMR officials said.

India's per day testing capacity has crossed 10 lakh, they said.

“India witnesses an unprecedented surge in testing. Over 11,70,000 tests done in the last 24 hours," the Union Health Ministry said in a tweet. "High levels of testing sustained over a period of time in widespread areas enable to diagnose cases early and facilitate seamless isolation and hospitalisation. This eventually leads to a low mortality rate,” it said in another tweet. India's COVID-19 case fatality rate due to the disease has further dropped to 1.75 per cent, while the national recovery rate has risen to 77.09 per cent.

There are 8,15,538 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 21.16 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. With a record single-day spike of 83,883 infections,  India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 38,53,406, while the death toll climbed to  67,376 with 1,043 people succumbing to the disease in a day, the ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.