New Delhi: India recorded 3.62 new infections in the past 24 hours after logging a steady decline for two days. This took the tally to 2.37crore overall. The death count has touched 2,58,317 with 4,120 people losing the battle.

As per the union health ministry, the active caseload comprises 15.87 percent of the country’s total infections. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are among the states that account for 82.51 percent of the total active cases.

Several states like Karnataka have declared a temporary suspension of the vaccine drive due to a shortage of the doses, while Telangana has sought immediate release of 13 lakh doses of vaccines from the centre.

West Bengal on Wednesday registered its highest single-day spike of 20,377 new COVID-19 cases. About 10.53 lakh people have been infected in the state since the start of the pandemic, reported the state health department.

Assessing the risk in the nation, WHO claimed the ‘resurgence and acceleration’ of COVID-19 transmission in the country was a result of ‘several religious and political mass gathering events which increased social mixing. As per its records, India continues to account for 95 per cent of cases and 93 percent of deaths in the South-East Asia region, as well as 50 per cent of global cases and 30 percent of global deaths.

On the vaccination front, so far only 2.5 % of the total population is vaccinated. The cumulative count of the immunized citizens stands at 17.70 crores reported, the Health Ministry.