March 31, 2021: Eight states accounted for 84.73 per cent of the 53,480 COVID-19 cases registered in the country in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry informed on Wednesday morning. Maharashtra continued to report the highest number of daily cases with 27,918, followed by Chhattisgarh and Karnataka with 3,108 and 2,975 respectively.

Six states accounted for 82.20 per cent of the new 354 deaths. With 139, Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties, followed by Punjab with 64 deaths. Fourteen states/Union Territories (UTs) have not reported any COVID-19 related death in the last 24 hours, the ministry further said. These are Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Ladakh (UT), Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

India's total active caseload has reached 5,52,566. It now comprises 4.55 per cent of the country's total positive cases. A net incline of 11,846 cases was recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.

Five states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh -- cumulatively account for 79.30 per cent of the total active cases in the country. Maharashtra leads with more than 61 per cent of the active caseload of the country. With these additional cases, the total number of infections in the country has reached 1,21,49,335. (ANI)