NEW DELHI: India became the world’s 17th country to record 20,000 Covid-19 cases, crossing the grim milestone on a day when Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal recorded their biggest single-day rise in infections. There was a spike in deaths as well, with 49 on Tuesday, taking the toll to 645.
The total number of cases stood at 20,083 late on Tuesday, as per reports from states, having risen by 1,493 during the day — the second highest daily rise after Sunday’s spike of 1,613 cases. Over a third of the new cases came from Maharashtra. At 552, the state equalled its own record of fresh cases set on Sunday. Mumbai alone reported 419 cases and 12 deaths.
Rajasthan (159) and West Bengal (53) also saw the sharpest spike for the respective states even as the infection maintained its surge in Gujarat, where 239 more people tested positive.
Gujarat, which has emerged as the biggest Covid hotspot after Maharashtra, crossed the 2,000-mark in number of cases and overtook Delhi to claim the No.2 spot in the country. Compared to 35 days taken by Maharashtra and 45 by Delhi – only two other Indian states with more than 2,000 cases – Gujarat reach the grim milestone in 34 days. The total tally of cases in the state now stands at 2,178.
On Tuesday, as many as 15 Covid-19 patients