India’s coronavirus cases surpass 6.7 million

By Ahmad Adil

CHANDIGARH, India (AA) - India’s coronavirus caseload crossed 6.7 million Wednesday as the country registered 72,049 infections in the past 24 hours.

The overall tally of coronavirus cases in the country has now reached 6,757,131, according to the Health Ministry.

There were also 986 new fatalities reported across the country, taking the death toll to 104,555.

India’s daily coronavirus numbers are showing a slight decline compared to the first half of last month, when the country recorded a massive daily increase of around 90,000 cases for several days.

The government has been saying that the high rate of recoveries has positioned India “as the top country globally with the maximum number of recovered cases.”

India issued new guidelines last week for the opening up of more activities in the country. According to the latest guidelines, movie theatre multiplexes will be permitted to open with up to 50% of their seating capacity from Oct. 15. The Health Ministry has also released standard operating procedures (SOPs) on preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 during festivities.

Experts in the country say that India may even surpass the US -- the worst-affected country worldwide -- in the severity of the pandemic.

According to US-based John Hopkins University, which compiles coronavirus figures, India is ranked second globally in coronavirus cases, while it ranks third globally in virus deaths.