India reports its highest daily COVID-19 cases in more than five months

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Reuters
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A health worker in personal protective equipment collects a swab sample from a woman during a rapid antigen testing campaign for the coronavirus at a railway station platform in Mumbai, India. Photo: Reuters

  • India's daily new infections highest in more than five months.
  • India’s overall caseload stands at 12.22 million, making it the third-most affected globally, behind the United States and Brazil.
  • The country reported 459 deaths, taking the total to 162,927, the data showed.


NEW DELHI: India reported 72,330 new COVID-19 infections overnight, data from the health ministry showed on Thursday, the highest since Oct. 11.

India’s overall caseload stood at 12.22 million, making it the third-most affected globally, behind the United States and Brazil.

The country reported 459 deaths, taking the total to 162,927, the data showed.

The commercial capital Mumbai, hard-hit in the virus' first wave last spring, has once again emerged as South Asia's epicenter. It's now seeing its highest caseload since the pandemic began. The surrounding state of Maharashtra is reporting about 10 times more cases than any other Indian state.

Read more: Asian countries on look out for alternate coronavirus vaccines after India causes COVAX setback

Scientists are scrambling to figure out which parts of the population are now most affected. 

Last summer, a survey of serologic tests in Mumbai found that 57% of the city's slum-dwellers had antibodies suggesting prior exposure to the coronavirus. But in wealthier areas, the percentage of people with antibodies was much lower. 

With additional input by the newsdesk