NEW DELHI: India recorded its highest single-day spike in Covid-19 cases as well as fatalities, with 24,201 fresh infections and 608 deaths from the virus reported on Saturday. This was the third straight day of record rise in infections as more than 23,500 cases were reported on Friday and over 22,000 the day before.
India’s Covid-19 caseload has risen to 6,72,968, as per data collated from state governments. The tally is set to cross Russia’s Covid-19 count (at present 6,74,515) on Sunday, if current infection trends hold. That will put India at the third spot, behind the US (over 29.1 lakh cases) and Brazil (15.5 lakh), among countries with the highest coronavirus cases.
Saturday’s record surge in infections was again led by Maharashtra, which recorded a massive 7,074 new cases, crossing the 7,000 mark for the first time. At least six other states reported their highest single-day jump in cases, with Karnataka registering 1,839, Bengal 743, Gujarat 712, Rajasthan 480 and Kerala 240. Fresh cases crossed the 100 mark for the first in Goa, which added 108 to its tally.
The daily death toll also went past 600 for the fi