India records 742,000 coronavirus cases, 20,642 deaths

Workers wearing protective face masks sit inside a shop selling iron pipes at a wholesale iron market, after authorities eased lockdown restrictions that were imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Kolkata, India on 15 June.Reuters

India recorded over 22,752 new cases and 482 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to 742,417 with 20,642 deaths, Health Ministry’s data revealed on Wednesday.

According to the data, out of total 742,417 cases, 456,830 have recovered while 264,944 remain active in the country. India is the third worst affected country after the US and Brazil.

During the last 24 hours, 262,679 samples have been tested, as the testing lab network continues to expand. As on date, more than 1,115 labs have enabled people to undergo corona tests.

On Tuesday, the central government cited a World Health Organisation (WHO) situation report and claimed the country had one of the lowest coronavirus deaths and cases per million population. The recovery rate has surpassed 61 per cent, it added.

With a spike of more than 5,134 cases in just one day, Maharashtra remains the worst hit state with cases reaching up to 211,987 and 9,250 casualties so far, of which 224 occurred in the last 24 hours.

Tamil Nadu remained the second worst hit with a total of 118,594 cases, including 1,636 deaths.

With 2,008 new coronavirus cases and 50 deaths in the last 24 hours, the national capital recorded a total tally of 102,831 and 3,165 deaths. The recovered patients in the city are almost three times that of the active coronavirus cases.

States with more than 10,000 cases include Gujarat with 37,550 cases and 1,977 deaths, Uttar Pradesh (29,968), Rajasthan (21,404), Madhya Pradesh (15,627), West Bengal (23,837), Haryana (17,999), Karnataka (26,815), Andhra Pradesh (21,197), Telangana (27,612) and Bihar (12,570) cases.

On the global front, the overall number of cases have increased to more than 11.7 million, while the deaths have soared to over 5,43,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. - Collected from "Prothom Alo"