India's COVID-19 tally increased to 18,55,745 with 52,050 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, while the recoveries crossed the 12-lakh mark on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 38,938 with 803 fresh fatalities being reported in 24-hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

A total of 12,30,509 people have recovered, while there are 5,86,298 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country presently.

The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has risen to 66.31 per cent, while the fatality rate has further dropped to 2.10 pc, the data stated.

The total number of confirmed cases also includes foreigners.

This is the sixth consecutive day that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50,000.

A cumulative total of 2,08,64,750 samples have been tested up to August 2 with 6,61,892 samples being tested on Monday, the highest done in a day so far, scientist and media coordinator at ICMR, Dr Lokesh Sharma, said.

"A total of 1,05,32,074 tests for detection of coronavirus infection have been performed, with per day average of 3,39,744 tests, in July, the highest number of tests conducted in a month so far," Sharma said.

Currently, there are 917 labs in the government sector and 439 labs in the private sector for conducting COVID-19 tests.

Of the 803 fresh deaths reported, 266 are from Maharashtra, 109 from Tamil Nadu, 98 from Karnataka, 63 from Andhra Pradesh, 53 from West Bengal, 48 from Uttar Pradesh, 23 from Telangana, 22 from Gujarat, 19 from Punjab, 17 from Delhi, 14 from Madhya Pradesh, 12 from Rajasthan, 11 from Jammu and Kashmir and 10 from Odisha.

Seven each death were reported from Haryana and Jharkhand, four each from Assam, Puducherry and Uttarakhand, three each from Chhattisgarh and Goa, two each from Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Kerala while Bihar and Tripura have recorded one fatality each.

Of the total 38,938 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 15,842 followed by 4,241 in Tamil Nadu, 4,021 in Delhi, 2,594 in Karnataka, 2,508 in Gujarat, 1,778 in Uttar Pradesh, 1,731 in West Bengal, 1,537 in Andhra Pradesh and 900 in Madhya Pradesh.

So far, 715 people have died of COVID-19 in Rajasthan, 563 in Telangana, 442 in Punjab, 440 in Haryana, 407 in Jammu and Kashmir, 330 in Bihar, 207 in Odisha, 125 in Jharkhand, 109 in Assam, 90 in Uttarakhand, 84 in Kerala.

Chhattisgarh has registered 61 deaths, Puducherry and Goa 56 each, Tripura 28, Chandigarh 19, Himachal Pradesh 14, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 10, Ladakh and Manipur seven each, Meghalaya and Nagaland five each, Arunachal Pradesh three, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two and Sikkim one.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.