India's coronavirus cases cross 4.6m after record surge in 24 hours
India’s confirmed coronavirus tally has crossed 4.6 million after a record surge of 97,570 new cases in 24 hours.
India on Saturday also reported another 1,201 deaths, taking total fatalities to 77,472.
Infections are growing faster in India than anywhere else in the world and it is the second worst-hit country behind the United States.
Experts say India’s limited and restrictive testing has masked the actual toll even as daily tests have been ramped up to more than 1 million.
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Passengers wearing face mask to prevent spreading coronavirus traveling in a car shows a hospital prescription to police at a checkpoint during second complete lockdown in a month in Kolkata, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. India passes Brazil to become the second worst-hit country by the pandemic with more than 4.2 million people infected. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) AP
Policemen check credentials of the passenger of a car during second complete lockdown to prevent spreading coronavirus in a month in Kolkata, India, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. India passes Brazil to become the second worst-hit country by the pandemic with more than 4.2 million people infected. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) AP
The Health Ministry said that over three-fourth of reported COVID-19 cases had either recovered or been discharged. The country’s recovery rate was at 77.7 per cent.
“The gap between the percentage of recovered cases and active cases is progressively growing wide,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, cases in the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, have passed 1 million as the virus continues to surge unabated through its rural and urban areas.
Maharashtra is the worst affected state with more than 28,000 COVID-19 fatalities. Nowhere has been the virus more deadly than in Maharashtra, where it has killed 2.8 per cent of those with confirmed infections, well above the national mortality rate of nearly 1.7 per cent.
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The pandemic has been economically devastating for India. Its economy contracted nearly 24 per cent in the second quarter, the worst among the world’s top economies.
Reported with Associated Press
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