India registers over 3 lakh Covid-19 cases, world's highest daily tally for second day in row

India is currently the second-worst Covid-19 affected nation in the world, lagging only the US. The country has repeatedly shattered records for infections and deaths over the past few weeks as the deadlier, more infectious second wave of the coronavirus sweeps through the nation.

India on Friday reported over 3 lakh coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases for the second day in a row, clocking 332,730 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry's dashboard at 9:15am on this day. With this, India's trend of registering the world's highest daily tally continues, pushing the country's total infection count to 16,263,695 cases. As many as 2,263 people also died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, mounting the coronavirus death toll to 186,920. India is currently dealing with a deadlier, more infectious second Covid-19 wave that sweeps through the nation, crushing its health infrastructure and overburdened frontline medical workers.

Medics inside the Covid-19 emergency ward at Yamuna Sports Complex, New Delhi, as coronavirus disease cases surge across India. (Kamal Kishore / PTI)

India has repeatedly shattered records for Covid-19 infections and deaths over the past few weeks, stoking fears that the central government may be forced to implement another country-wide lockdown to curb the spread. Yesterday, India had recorded as many as 314,835 new cases in a span of 24 hours, the first time that the country surpassed the three-lakh mark in its daily spike. In Delhi alone, where hospitals are running out of medical oxygen supplies, the daily rise registered on Thursday was over 26,000. As many as 306 new deaths were reported in the national capital, forcing several to turn to makeshift facilities for laying their dead to rest as bodies piled up at encumbered crematoriums and burial grounds.

Ten states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat, account for 75% of all the new cases registered in a day, the health ministry informed a day ago. On the vaccination front, the cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 13.53 crore, of which over 30 lakh were administered in the last 24 hours. As many as 274,445,653 samples have been tested for Covid-19 till April 22, with 1,740,550 samples tested on Thursday itself.

India is currently the second-worst Covid-19 affected nation in the world, lagging only the US. While the US caseload is twice as high its death toll is three times what India has reported. The surge in Asia’s third-largest economy puts at risk not only its fragile economic recovery but also the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic.