New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS): As many as 7,081 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours while 264 succumbed to the virus in the same period, the Health Ministry said on Sunday. The new fatalities have mounted the death toll to 4,77,422.

On a positive note, a total of 7,469 people were cured and discharged in the past one day, taking the overall recovery count to 3,41,78,940.

The recovery rate, which currently stands at 98.38 per cent, is the highest since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

As the recoveries in the last 24 hours were more than the cases recorded, the active caseload dropped further by 652 to stand at 83,913. It is now the lowest in the last 570 days. The active cases account for 0.24 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a total of 66,41,09,365 samples have been tested so far for the coronavirus. Out of this, 12,11,977 were tested in the past one day.

On the vaccination front, 1,37,46,13,252 (1.37 crore) people have been vaccinated in the country, of which, 76,54,466 received a Covid vaccine jab on Saturday. This has been achieved through 1,44,53,135 sessions.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate at 0.61 per cent has remained less than 1 per cent for the last 35 days now.

The daily positivity rate at 0.58 per cent has also remained below 2 per cent for the last 76 days and less than 3 per cent for 111 consecutive days now.

The Health Ministry said more than 17.54 crore (17,54,66,041) balance and unutilised Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states and union territories to be administered.