India crosses 350,000 coronavirus deaths while cases decline

New Delhi, Jun 8 (EFE).- India on Tuesday crossed 350,000 coronavirus deaths, while registering less than 100,000 daily infections for the first time in more than two months.

The Asian country recorded 2,123 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 351,309 since the start of the pandemic last year, which is only behind the United States (around 598,000) and Brazil (around 473,000).

The number of deaths have been on the decline, after recording over 4,500 daily deaths last month, when a virulent second wave led to a healthcare system collapse with shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen.

India also recorded 86,498 infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 28.99 million, a number second only to the US with 33.3 million.

The latest daily cases is the lowest in 66 days and the first time in over two months that it registered less than 100,000 infections.

At the peak of the second coronavirus wave in May, the country was recording more than 400,000 per day.

India, with a population of more than 1.35 billion, is one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world and sees its inoculation drive as the main solution to the Covid-19 crisis.

In the last 24 hours, the country administered 3.3 million doses of the vaccine, which is a significant improvement from the last few days but still insufficient in its aim to vaccinate the entire adult population by the end of the year.

After criticism from the Supreme Court and the opposition over certain aspects of the vaccination program, the Government announced Monday that vaccines will be free for all citizens over the age of 18.

Moreover, it once again assumed responsibility for acquiring doses for the population between the ages of 18 and 44, which in May has been left to the state governments. EFE

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