Hyderabad, Oct 27 (IANS): For a third consecutive day on Tuesday, Telangana reported less than 1,000 Covid-19 positive cases as the authorities halved the daily number of tests.

During the last 24 hours, 21,099 samples were tested and out of these 837 were found positive, taking the state's tally to 2,32,671.

While laboratories test fewer samples every weekend, this time the test numbers were reduced for three days, apparently due to Dussehra holidays.

A total of 27,055 samples were tested on Friday-Saturday and 14,729 on Saturday-Sunday.

Four more people succumbed to the virus during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,315.

The fatality stands at 0.56 per cent against the national average of 1.5 per cent.

Officials said the percentage of deaths due to Covid-19 was 44.96 while the remaining 55.04 had comorbidities.

Greater Hyderabad reported 185 new cases. For a third consecutive day, none of the other districts reported new cases in three digits. Khammam recorded the second highest number of cases at 76 followed by Rangareddy (59), Karimnagar (51), Bhadradri Kothagudem (48) and Medchal Malkajgiri (41).

According to the daily media bulletin released by the office of the director of public health and family welfare, 1,554 people recovered from the virus during the 24-hour period that ended 8 p.m. Monday.

The state's recovery rate stands at 91.14 per cent as against the national average of 90.3 per cent.

The total number of active cases stands at 17,890 of which 14,851 are in home or institutional isolation.

The cumulative number of tests mounted to 41,15,516. Eighteen government-run laboratories, 46 private laboratories and 1,076 Rapid Antigen test centres are conducting the tests.

Out of 21,099 samples tested during the last 24 hours, 20,172 samples were tested in government-run laboratories and 927 in private.

Of the total samples 9,283 were primary and 2,531 were secondary.

The authorities, however, released no data as to how many of the total tests conducted so far were Rapid Antigen Tests.

Samples tested per million population ratio rose further to 1,10,572.

The daily testing target for the state is 5,600 per day as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmark of 140 per million per day.

Out of 2,32,671 total positive cases so far, 70 per cent (1,62,870) were asymptomatic, while the remaining 30 per cent (69,801) were symptomatic.