New Delhi,  India on Thursday reported 2,11,298 fresh cases as 3,847 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.

Tamil Nadu recorded the highest new cases with 33,764 people testing positive for the virus, while Kerala added 28,798 cases. Meanwhile Maharashtra saw most fatalities at 1,013, Karnataka added 530 and Tamil Nadu 475. Strict measures have been initiated by the M.K. Stalin government to bring down the Covid figures.

India's overall tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,73,69,093 with 24,19,907 active cases and 3,15,235 deaths so far.

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 2,83,135 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 2,46,33,951 being cured from Covid till date.

The Health Ministry said that a total of 20,26,95,874 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 18,85,805 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 33,69,69,353 samples have been tested up to May 26 for Covid-19. Of these 21,57,857 samples were tested on Wednesday.

In the last 16 days India has recorded over 60,000 deaths. On Monday, 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.

On Tuesday, India recorded 1,96,427 cases -- the lowest since April 14.

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

It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6. These three are the worst-hit by the pandemic.

After battling a brutal second wave for weeks, fresh Covid cases came down below the three lakh-mark for the first time on May 17 after touching record high of 4,14,188 on May 7.