Hyderabad, Feb 16 (IANS): Telangana reported 129 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, raising the state's tally over 2.96 lakh, even as 161 more recoveries outnumbered infections.

Hyderabad accounted for the highest number of cases in the past 24 hours at 23, followed by Rangareddy (9), Karimnagar, Medhcal Malkajgiri and Warangal Urban (7 each).

Among other places, Khammam (6), Jagityal, Mancherial, Nalgonda, Nirmal and Peddapalli (5 each).

Although the total number of cases crossed 2.96 lakh, active cases plummeted to 1,643, more than the neighbouring Telugu state of Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, one more person succumbed to Covid in the past 24 hours, raising the statewide Covid death toll to 1,619.

The southern state's Covid fatality rate currently stands at 0.54 per cent, compared to the national average of 1.4 per cent.

Powered by 161 more recoveries, total recoveries crossed 2.93 lakh, slashing the gap between total cases and recoveries.

The state's recovery rate rose to 98.9 per cent, higher than the national average of 97.3 per cent.

In the past 24 hours, the state tested 24,851 more samples for the virus, increasing the total number of tests over 83 lakh.

Per million population, the state tested 2.23 lakh samples.