New Delhi, April 12, (dpa/GNA) – The coronavirus pandemic continued its second, steep spike in India on Monday, with the country overtaking Brazil as the country with the second-largest Covid-19 caseload after the United States.
India reported 168,912 new cases on Monday, according to Health Ministry data, marking the sixth record rise in a week and taking the total number of cases to 13.5 million.
The death count has been rising steadily and now stands at 170,179, with 904 new deaths reported Monday.
The state of Maharashtra, the worst-hit in India, reported 63,294 new cases. It is struggling with a shortage of ventilator-supported ICU beds and oxygen cylinders, the NDTV news agency reported.
The highest spike in cases after Maharashtra was recorded in the central state of Uttar Pradesh and the adjoining national capital New Delhi, which reported 10,774 new cases since Sunday.
Both Maharashtra, which has the financial hub of Mumbai as its capital, and New Delhi are mulling state-wide lockdowns, NDTV reported citing government sources.
GNA