NEW DELHI: India’s total Covid-19 caseload went past Spain’s on Saturday to become the fifth largest in the world, on a day when fresh infections in the country crossed 10,000 for the first time. As many as 297 deaths were reported, the highest single-day toll from the virus so far.
India’s tally of coronavirus cases stood at 2,46,549 late on Saturday night, having overtaken Spain’s count of 2.41,310 during the course of the day. Now, only the US (19,06,060 cases), Brazil (6,14,941), Russia (4,58,102) and the UK (2,86,294) have recorded higher number of cases.
As cases continue to surge — 10,434 fresh infections were recorded on Saturday — India can take solace from the fact that the death toll is far lower than Brazil, Spain and the UK at the same stage of cases. Only Russia and the US had a lower toll at the same case stage (around 2.4 lakh) among the six worst-hit countries.
India’s daily count of Covid-19 cases crossed the five-digit on Saturday, going past the previous highest of 9,651 recorded on Thursday. Even the death toll was higher by two cases than the previous peak of 295, recorded just a day earlier, as per data collated fr