Thursday, April 15, 2021
By
Reuters

India reports over 200,000 new coronavirus infections for the first time

By
Reuters
|
Deaths stood at 1,038, taking the total to 173,123, the data showed. Photo: Reuters
  • India reports record 200,739 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours.
  • Deaths stand at 1,038, taking the total to 173,123.
  • The country’s total caseload reaches 14.1 million, just behind the US that leads the global tally with 31.4 million cases.


NEW DELHI: India reported a record of 200,739 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, according to data issued by the health ministry on Thursday.

Deaths stood at 1,038, taking the total to 173,123, the data showed.

The country’s total caseload reached 14.1 million, just behind the United States that leads the global tally with 31.4 million cases.

Read more: India's new coronavirus cases hit record

From reporting less than 10,000 cases per day earlier this year, India has been the world's worst-hit country since April 2 by new daily cases, with the government blaming here a widespread failure to heed curbs on movement and social interaction.

India’s richest state Maharashtra, the epicentre of the national second wave and which accounts for about a quarter of the country’s cases, is due to impose stringent restrictions from Wednesday to try to contain the spread.

Elsewhere, overstretched private hospitals are turning patients away, placing an increasing burden on government facilities.