India logged 38,353 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,20,36,511, while the active cases have declined to 3,86,351, the lowest in 140 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll has climbed to 4,29,179 with 497 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The active cases comprise 1.21 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands 97.45 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 2,157 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 17,77,962 tests were conducted on Tuesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 48,50,56,507.

The daily positivity rate was recorded 2.16 per cent.It has been less than three per cent for the last 16 days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.34 per cent.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,12, 20,981 and the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

Cumulatively, 51.90 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.

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.India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 497 new fatalities include 152 from Kerala and 137 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,29,179 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,34,201 from Maharashtra, 36,848 from Karnataka, 34,367 from Tamil Nadu, 25,068 from Delhi, 22,775 from Uttar Pradesh, 18,252 from West Bengal and 18,004 from Kerala.

The 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.