Active cases cross 3.5 mn as India sees record surge, deaths

INDIA RECORDED 412,262 NEW COVID INFECTIONS AND 3,980 FATALITIES IN THE 24 HOURS TO THURSDAY, THE COUNTRY’S HIGHEST SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN

NEW DELHI: Active cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) surged past the 3.5 million mark on Thursday after India saw the highest single-day infections in the world and a record number of deaths, as the massive surge in the outbreak continued to overwhelm hospitals and doctors throughout the country.

India recorded 412,262 new Covid-19 infections and 3,980 fatalities in the 24 hours to Thursday, according to the Union health ministry, as the relentless expansion of the outbreak continued to spark shortages of hospital beds and other crucial supplies such as oxygen and medicines.

Both these metrics were the country’s highest since the pandemic began in March last year.

This is the second time after May 1 when the one-day infection count increased by over 400,000.

The country’s tally now stands at 21,077,410 and the death toll to 230,168,

Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 3,566,398, comprising nearly 17% of the total infections, the highest ever in India.

Twelve states cumulatively account for over 81% of India’s total active cases, the ministry said. These states have over 100,000 active cases.

Active cases is a crucial metric representing the country’s battle against the viral disease because it directly reflects the pressure on the health care system in a region and shows the number of people who are currently carrying the disease.