India registered 2,68,833 new Covid infections in a day taking the tally to 3,68,50,962, which includes 6,041 Omicron variant cases, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Saturday.

With 402 more deaths, the number of people who have succumbed to the viral disease has risen to 4,85,752. The case fatality rate was 1.32 per cent.

A total of 6,041 Omicron cases has been detected so far, an increase of 5.01 per cent since Friday, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The daily positivity rate was 16.66 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 12.84 per cent.

Active cases have increased to 14,17,820, the highest in around 223 days, and comprise 3.85 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 94.83 per cent, the Health Ministry said.

In a day, the active caseload in the country has increased by 1,45,747. The total number of people who have recuperated from the disease so far has risen to 3,49,47,390.

The cumulative Covid vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 156.02 crore.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 last year and three crore on June 23, 2021.

The 402 new fatalities include 199 from Kerala and 34 from Delhi.

Of the total deaths reported so far in the country, 1,41,756 are from Maharashtra, 50,568 from Kerala, 38,411 from Karnataka, 36,956 from Tamil Nadu, 25,305 from Delhi, 22,949 from Uttar Pradesh and 20,013 from West Bengal.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.