India’s Covid-19 tally nears 86,000-mark; death toll at 2,752

India’s fatality rate was 3.20%, compared to the global death rate of 6.92%, according to the figures released by the Union health ministry.

With 3,970 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 103 deaths in last 24 hours, India’s tally of the respiratory illness jumped to 85,940 on Saturday morning, the Union health ministry data showed.

Migrants are thermal screened before being taken to board a Shramik Special train to Bihar’s Darbanga by Haryana Roadways buses, at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurugram. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The number of Covid-19 cases is now more than China’s, which has reported 82,933 Covid-19 cases, 4,633 of whom have died of the disease, so far. The highly contagious disease originated from the country late last year.

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There are 53,035 active cases, 30,152 people been cured out discharged and 2,752 people have been killed because of Covid-19, according to the health ministry dashboard at 8am. India’s recovery rate had improved to 35%.

India’s fatality rate was 3.20%, compared to the global death rate of 6.92%, according to the figures released by the Union health ministry.

Deaths in India are two per one million population, compared to three deaths per million in China. Data from the 50 countries with the most cases shows that deaths per million are the lowest in the two most populated nations in the world, except for Bangladesh.

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi together account for two-thirds of India’s cases as the third phase of the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on Sunday.

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According to experts, the national lockdown imposed in India on March 25 to slow the spread of the disease appeared to have been effective in slowing the infections. However, with the gradual easing of restrictions – necessitated by sluggish economic indicators – they expect the cases to rise in the coming days.

The spread of Covid-19 has been slower in India than in China and other parts of the world, according to epidemiologists.

Globally, more than 4.5 million have contracted Covid-19 and 307,159 people have died, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker.