Hyderabad, Feb 20 (IANS): Telangana on Saturday reported 157 new coronavirus cases, raising the state's tally to over 2.97 lakh, even as an equal number of people recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours.

Hyderabad accounted for the highest number of cases in the past 24 hours at 27, followed by Medhcal Malkajgiri (15), Rangareddy (12), Karimnagar (9), Warangal Urban (8), Mancherial, Rajanna Siricilla and Sangareddy (6 each), and Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mehaboobnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad and Siddipet (5 each).

Although the total number of cases have crossed 2.97 lakh, the number of active cases in the state stood at 1,715 on Tuesday, more than the neighbouring Telugu state of Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, no new Covid death occurred in the past 24 hours, retaining the statewide death toll to 1,623.

The southern state's Covid fatality rate currently stands at 0.54 per cent, compared to the national average of 1.4 per cent, same as it was on Tuesday.

Propelled by 157 more recoveries, total number of recoveries in Telangana has crossed 2.94 lakh, narrowing the gap between total cases and recoveries.

The state's recovery rate dropped to 98.87 per cent, which is still higher than the national average of 97.3 per cent.

In the past 24 hours, the state tested 23,702 samples for the virus, taking the total number of tests to over 84.3 lakh. Per million population, the state has tested 2.26 lakh samples.