India’s COVID-19 infection rate continues to surge, over 5 million cases reported

India reported another record jump in daily coronavirus cases on Thursday with 97,894 new infections in the last 24 hours, after its caseload surged past the five million mark a day earlier, data from the health ministry showed. 

Deaths also increased, with the country recording more than 1,000 deaths every day for the last two weeks.

Coronavirus infections in India surged past five million on Wednesday, with one million active cases reported. 

India’s caseload is closing in on the US, which has reported more than 6.6 million cases and with the infection rate continuing as it is, health officials have warned that it could take just weeks for India to surpass the US. 

In the initial stages of Covid-19, India imposed a strict lockdown, but the virus then hit cities like Mumbai and the capital, Delhi, before surging in smaller cities and rural areas.

Despite the increase, the Indian government has eased restrictions to help the economy recover from the March to June lockdown. 

But as India opened up and people returned to work, the caseload increased drastically. 

In one week alone – last week – 600,000 new cases were added. 

India’s reported number of cases is now more than 5,020,359.