COVID-19 deaths continue in Mexico, India

By Zehra Ulucak and Shuriah Niazi

ANKARA/NEW DELHI (AA) - Mexico and India on Saturday reported additional novel coronavirus-related fatalities.

Mexico reported 647 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total in the country to 20,394.

A total of 5,030 more people tested positive for the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, raising the overall count to 170,485, said the Health Ministry.

Recoveries have reached 126,438, the ministry added.

Mexico confirmed its first case on Feb. 28 and first death from COVID-19 on March 19.

- India

India saw its highest single-day jump in coronavirus cases with 14,516 on Saturday, bringing the tally to 395,048, according to health officials.

The death toll rose to 12,948 with 375 fatalities in a day. India registered over 10,000 cases for the ninth day in a row.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, with 124,331 cases and 5,893 deaths.

A police officer died in Mumbai due to COVID-19, with the total toll among the city's police now at 31.

The national capital, New Delhi, crossed the 50,000 cases mark after 3,137 were reported Friday.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal ordered five days of institutional quarantine for each case under home isolation.

According to Baijal, home quarantines were the reason behind surging virus cases in the city.

Reports suggest that several nurses employed in private hospitals have resigned in Delhi fearing their health due to sub-standard protective gear.

Delhi Health minister Satyedra Jain, who tested positive on June 17, has been administrated plasma therapy after his condition deteriorated Friday.

Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has claimed over 460,000 lives in 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil and Russia are currently the world’s worst-hit countries.

Some 8.65 million cases have been reported worldwide, while some 4.24 million have recovered so far, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar