Corona count goes from 4 lakh to 5 lakh in 6 days; 18,000-plus cases on Friday

NEW DELHI: India raced past the 5 lakh mark in Covid-19 cases on Friday, just six days after the caseload had crossed 4 lakh, even as the day’s fresh infections touched another new peak, surging past 18,000 for the first time.

There were 381 deaths from the virus on Friday, the first time in four days that the toll had dipped below 400. The country has so far recorded 5,09,377 cases and 15,681 deaths, while over 2.95 lakh patients have recovered, as per data from state governments.

The pandemic continued to surge, with 18,572 new cases being reported on Friday, surpassing the previous day’s record of 17,870. This was the seventh peak in daily cases in p