India records 841 new COVID cases, 3 deaths in past 24 hours

•  India records 841 new COVID-19 cases, marking the highest daily count in over seven months
• The number of active COVID-19 cases reaches 4,309, indicating a recent surge in infections
• Cases have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather condition

India has reported 841 new cases of COVID-19, marking the highest daily count in 227 days, according to the health ministry's latest update on Sunday. The number of active cases has risen to 4,309. Additionally, three new fatalities have been recorded in the past 24 hours, with one each reported from Kerala, Karnataka, and Bihar.

The surge in daily cases comes after a significant decline, with India recording 865 new cases on May 19. The recent uptick is attributed to the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. The country experienced a period of double-digit daily cases until December 5.

Despite the recent increase, the national recovery rate remains high at 98.81%, with over 4.4 crore people having successfully recovered from the disease. The total number of COVID-19 cases in India has surpassed 4.5 crore, with over 5.3 lakh reported deaths over the course of the pandemic, which began in early 2020.

On a positive note, the health ministry's website reports that more than 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country.