INDIA RECORDS 4,500 COVID DEATHS, HIGHEST EVER DAILY TOLL

NEW DELHI: India saw a record 4,529 fatalities due to coronavirus on Wednesday, its highest ever single-day surge, pushing the Covid-19 death toll to 283,248, according to the Union health ministry.

With a total of 267,334 fresh infections in the 24 hours to Wednesday, India’s total tally of cases climbed to 25,496,330, the world’s second highest after the US.

The daily pandemic death toll has been rising in recent days as cases spread into rural districts with poor health facilities.

Daily testing hit a record 2 million on Tuesday, figures from the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research showed.

India also registered a 13% decrease in new Covid-19 cases in the past week but the number of fresh infections was still the highest around the world, the World Heath Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.→p4