India’s Covid-19 caseload nears 6 million with 95,000 deaths
New Delhi, Sep 27 (efe-epa).- India on Sunday recorded 88,600 new coronavirus infections, taking its overall tally to nearly 6 million as the country inched closer to the United States, the worst affected country by the pandemic.
According to federal health ministry data, India also recorded 1,124 deaths in the 24 hours ending Saturday morning, bringing the total number of Covid-19 fatalities to 94,534.
The number of new daily infections in India has been on the upswing again after a marked downward trend in recent days.
The second worst coronavirus-affected country had on Tuesday recorded its lowest number of daily coronavirus cases in three weeks with a little over 75,000 new infections, compared to its world record count of 97,570 patients in a single day registered about two weeks ago.
According to official data, three-quarters of the daily infections that the country registers each day are limited to 10 states.
The western state of Maharashtra, whose capital is Mumbai, is the worst-hit with 1.3 million infections.
The virus has alarmingly spread from the Indian megalopolises to the countryside, where the vast majority of the Indian population lives, and the health infrastructure is weak.
Indian authorities have repeatedly highlighted the “high number of patients who recover every day,” numbering 92,043 in the last 24 hours.
The total number of people having recuperated from the disease is nearly 5 million, according to the central Health Ministry.
“With this increase in daily recoveries, the recovery rate also continues its upward trend. Currently, it stands at 82 percent,” said the ministry.
Medical experts say that India is on track to overtake the US, which has so far registered 7.2 million cases, the highest in the world.
In a video address to the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi questioned the world body’s response to the pandemic.
“Where is the UN in this joint fight against the pandemic, where is its effective response?” he asked, arguing for the need for deep-seated reforms.
Modi also highlighted India’s role in pharmaceutical manufacturing during the pandemic.
He said that, as the world’s largest producer of vaccines, India would ensure that capacity was used to help all of humanity.
“Even during these very difficult times of a raging pandemic, the pharma industry of India has sent essential medicines to more than 150 countries,” he added.
“As the largest vaccine producing country in the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today.
“India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.” EFE-EPA
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