New Delhi:

India’s coronavirus case tally climbed to 6.39 million after it reported 81,484 new infections in the last 24 hours, while related deaths were just shy of 100,000 mark, data from the health ministry showed on Friday.

Deaths from coronavirus infections rose by 1,095 in the last 24 hours to 99,773, the ministry said.

The South Asian nation, which is second only to the United States in terms of total cases, has a scope for higher infections with a large chunk of the population still unexposed to the virus, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The total recoveries have surged to 53,52,078. There are 9,42,217 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 14.74 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.56 per cent, it said.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20 lakh-mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past the 50 lakh-mark on September 16 and crossed 60 lakh on September 28.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative total of 7,67,17,728 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to October 1, with 10,97,947 samples tested on Thursday.

The 1,095 latest fatalities include 394 from Maharashtra, 130 from Karnataka, 80 from Uttar Pradesh, 66 from Tamil Nadu, 59 from West Bengal, 45 from Punjab, 41 from Andhra Pradesh, 40 from Delhi and 29 each from Chhattisgarh and Kerala.

The total 99,773 COVID-19 deaths reported so far in the country include 37,056 from Maharashtra followed by 9,586 from Tamil Nadu, 8,994 from Karnataka, 5,869 from Andhra Pradesh, 5,864 from Uttar Pradesh, 5,401 from Delhi, 5,017 from West Bengal, 3,460 from Gujarat, 3,451 from Punjab and 2,336 from Madhya Pradesh.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation