India reports most number of cases since December 13

The restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 were expanded in parts of the country

Reuters

March 17, 2021

Earlier this month, Indian health authorities had approved blood tests for coronavirus antibodies as a faster way to bolster the screening effort. Photo: Reuters/File

India’s daily COVID-19 cases jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday.
The restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 were expanded in parts of the country.
The total number of coronavirus cases stands at 11.44 million.

India’s daily COVID-19 cases jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday, data from the health ministry showed the highest increase since December 13 and taking the total to 11.44 million.

Deaths swelled from 188 to 159,044. The restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 were expanded in parts of the country that have recorded a surge on Wednesday.

Nearly 62% of infections in the past 24 hours and 46% of the deaths were reported by the western state of Maharashtra, the country's worst affected.

The federal government has blamed crowding and a general reluctance to wear masks for the spike, ruling out the virus mutations that have been a factor in Western countries.

Maharashtra, home to India's commercial capital of Mumbai, is among the states that have already tightened rules to curb the spread of the virus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss the rise in cases in a video conference with state chief ministers later on Wednesday.