NEW DELHI – India today reported a record 4,529 coronavirus deaths over 24 hours, even as the number of fresh cases in its devastating new wave falls.
The daily pandemic death toll has been rising in recent days as cases spread into rural districts with poor healthcare facilities.
With the latest fatalities, India’s official toll rises to 283,248 behind the United States on more than 600,000 deaths and Brazil with about 440,000.
Experts have said, however, that the Indian toll is much higher.
More than 267,000 new infections were added, taking the number of known cases to 25.5 million, second only to the US.
At the current pace, India could overtake the US next month.
The latest Covid-19 wave has ravaged India for six weeks, feeding on shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and critical drugs. Since the start of last month, cases have doubled and more than 100,000 people lost their lives.
Indian authorities said keeping new cases below 300,000 for a third straight day is a sign that the wave is easing.
“The pandemic curve is stabilising,” said V.K. Paul, head of the government’s Covid-19 task force. – AFP, May 19, 2021
