• Friday, March 29, 2024

Coronavirus

India’s coronavirus infections rise by highest in three months

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a passenger for a Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test at a bus station in New Delhi on March 17, 2021. (Photo by PRAKASH SINGH/AFP via Getty Images)

By: Pramod Thomas

INDIA’s daily coronavirus infections jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday (17), data from the health ministry showed, for the highest increase since December 13 and taking the nationwide tally to 11.44 million.

Deaths swelled by 188, the highest figure in two months, to stand at 159,044.

India has the world’s highest tally of infections after the US and Brazil.

Nearly 62 per cent of infections in the past 24 hours and 46 per cent 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.

India reported the first case of coronavirus on January 30 last year in the southern state of Kerala.

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