Is the COVID peak over in India? Country reports 1.96 Lakh COVID cases in the last 24 hours

India's daily coronavirus cases fell below 2-lakh mark for the first time since April 14. The country reported 1,96,427 fresh COVID cases on Tuesday and 3,511 fatalities, Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.

On April 14, India had recorded 2,00,739 cases. This is for the first time after April 14 that the cases have gone below the two-lakh mark. On Monday, India crossed the three-lakh mark of fatalities due to Coronavirus infections, thus becoming the world's third country after the US and Brazil to cross three-lakh deaths.

India's overall tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 2,69,48,874 with 25,86,782 active cases and 3,07,231 deaths so far. In the last 13 days, India has recorded over 50,000 deaths. According to the Health Ministry, a total of 3,26,850 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, with 2,40,54,861 being cured from COVID to date. The Health Ministry said that a total of 19,85,38,999 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 24,40,236 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 33,25,94,176 samples have been tested up to May 24 for COVID-19. Of these 20,58,112 samples were tested on Monday. India registered record deaths due to COVID on Wednesday with 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from COVID infection in any country since the Coronavirus outbreak was reported in China's Wuhan in December 2019.

It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6. These three are the worst hit by the pandemic. Now, India is behind the US and Brazil with the highest deaths due to COVID-19. After battling a brutal second wave for weeks, fresh COVID cases came down below the three lakh mark for the first time on May 17 after touching a record high of 4,14,188 on May 7.