The country reported 3,15,660 infections and 2,091 deaths.

 NEW DELHI /NEW YORK (TIP): India set a world record of sorts on April 21 when it registered, for the first time, more than 3 lakh COVID-19 cases in a single day.As many as 3,15,660 cases and 2,091 deaths were recorded in the country as of 11.15 p.m. IST on April 21. No country has recorded more cases in a single day. The country has so far reported a total of 1,59,24,914 cases and 1,84,662 deaths. The figures do not include cases and deaths in Tripura. Ladakh, whose figures were released after this report was filed. The data is sourced from covid19india.org, an independent aggregator of daily COVID-19 figures. Maharashtra reported 67,468 infections (accounting for 22% of the new cases) on April 21, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 33,214 new infections and Delhi with 24,638 new cases. Maharashtra also recorded the maximum casualties (568) on April 21. Delhi followed with 249 new deaths, while Uttar Pradesh registered 187 new casualties.

As many as 16,39,357 samples were tested in India on April 20 (results of which were made available on April 21), the highest-ever number of tests conducted on a single day in the country.

This is the first instance when the number of daily tests crossed the 16-lakh mark.

Prior to India, only the United States recorded more than 3 lakh cases in a single day. On January 2, 2021, the U.S. reported 3,00,310 new infections, its highest single-day spike. Other countries with significantly high single-day spikes are Brazil with 1,00,158 cases on March 25, 2021; the U.K. with 68,192 cases on January 8, 2021; and Turkey with 63,082 cases on April 16, 2021.

The international figures have been collated from Our World in Data.During the peak of the first wave, India’s daily case tally did not cross the 1 lakh mark. On September 16, 2020, the country recorded 97,860 new infections, the highest single day rise for the first wave.

Around 29.9 lakh of COVID-19 vaccination doses were administered in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. on April 21, which is about 2.86 lakh doses lesser than what was recorded in the previous 24 hours. However, it is about 3.44 lakh doses more than what was recorded in the same period one week before. The daily vaccination rate in India has declined in the past week. Between April 7-13, India administered an average of 34.43 lakh doses every day. However, one week later, as on April 20, the average daily doses given fell to 27.05 lakh.