New Delhi:
India reported 81,466 new COVID-19 infections overnight, data from the health ministry showed on Friday, the highest since Oct. 2, 2020.
India’s overall caseload stood at 12.30 million, making it the third-most affected globally, behind the United States and Brazil.
The country reported 469 more deaths, taking the total to 163,396.
Mumbai and Delhi have reported infection spikes, even as other major cities like Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai are also battling a rise in daily infections.
“New infections will turn into a "full-blown crisis" if people don’t take guard,” said Dr Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, as saying.
“It took several months for the Covid-19 tally in the country to cross the 70,000 mark during the first wave. This time around, we are seeing a very steep curve,” said Guleria, also a member of a national taskforce for Covid-19.