India reported 15,981 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which was 5.2 per cent lower than what the country had seen a day before, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Saturday.

Kerala with 8,867 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 2,149 cases, Tamil Nadu with 1,245 cases were the three worst hit states accounting for the highest number of fresh Covid cases and together accounting for as much as 76.7% of the total number of cases in the country.  Kerala alone was responsible for more than half the cases at 55.48 per cent. Mizoram was at the fourth spot with 932 cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 586 cases.

A total of 166 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, increasing the total reported death count to 4,51,980. Maximum casualties were also reported in Kerala with 67 people dying in the last 24 hours, followed by Maharashtra with 29 deaths.

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A total of 17,861 patients recovered in the last 24 hours.

As a result, India's active caseload declined by 2,046 from the previous day. The active coronavirus caseload in the country now stands at 2,01,632.

Meanwhile, India administered a total of 8,36,118 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the last 24 hours, which has taken the total tally of doses administered in the country to 97.24 crore.