India sees almost 80,000 new cases

India recorded the worst single-day spike of the pandemic so far as the number of coronavirus cases globally topped 25 million yesterday.

The US leads the count with a total of 5.9 million cases, followed by Brazil with 3.8 million and India with 3.5 million, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher – perhaps ten times higher in the US, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognised.

Global deaths from Covid-19 stand at more than 842,000, with the US having the highest number at 182,779, followed by Brazil with 120,262 and Mexico with 63,819.

The figures come as India registered a record 78,761 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, the biggest daily rise the world has seen. The health ministry also reported 948 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities to 63,498.

Yesterday’s surge comes as India is reopening its subway networks and allowing sports and religious events in a limited manner from next month as part of efforts to revive the economy.

The crowded subway, a lifeline for millions of people in the capital New Delhi, will be reopened in a phased manner from 7 September.

Schools and colleges will, however, remain closed until the end of September.

The country has the thirdhighest caseload after the US and Brazil, and its fatalities are the fourth-highest.

Even as eight Indian states remain among the worsthit regions and contribute nearly 73 per cent of the total infections, the virus is now spreading fast in the vast hinterlands, with experts warning that the month of September could be the most challenging.