New Delhi, June 18: India added highest 12,881 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the tally to 3.66 lakh, while the death toll reached 12,881 as 334 more patients succumbed to the contagious disease.
Of the fresh cases, maximum 3,307 were registered in Maharashtra, followed by 2,414 in Delhi, 2,174 in Tamil Nadu, 550 in Haryana, 516 in Gujarat and 507 in Uttar Pradesh.
In fatalities, highest 114 people died again in Maharashtra, followed by 67 in Delhi, 51 in Tamil Nadu, 27 in Gujarat and 18 each in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
India’s recovery rate stood at 52.95 per cent, however, death rate increased to 3.51 pc.
The rising number of cases is more attributed to enhanced testing with 1,65,412 samples tested on Thursday, as per Union Health Ministry.
The Health Ministry has given permission to CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute(CDRI) Lucknow to conduct phase III control trials antiviral drug Umifenovir. As per the ministry, the drug acts in preventing entry of virus into human cells and also by priming the immune system.
