India’s COVID-19 tally surpasses 4.7 million

NEW DELHI, India

India’s coronavirus pandemic figures crossed the 4.7 million mark Sunday after it recorded more than 94,000 new cases, according to health ministry figures.

India has registered a daily increase of more than 90,000 infections for five straight days and has added 1 million new cases in less than two weeks.

It recorded 94,372 new cases, taking the number of cases to 4,754,356.

With 1,114 fatalities, deaths has reached 78,586.

While infections are rapidly increasing, the health ministry is boasting about the steep increase in recoveries.

“India's #COVID Recoveries have witnessed a steep exponential rise - from 50,000 in May to over 36 lakh in Sept. A high level of more than 70,000 Recoveries reported every day. Recoveries are nearly 3.8 times the Active Cases (under 1/4 total cases),” the ministry tweeted Sunday. A lakh is 1 million.

Home Minister Amit Shah was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi late Saturday, nearly two weeks after he was discharged from a hospital, local broadcaster NDTV reported. Shah earlier tested positive for the virus.

A sero survey published in a medical journal estimated India had 6.4 million infections three months ago.

Experts believe that by the end of September it may surpass the US, the worst-affected country, in the severity of the pandemic.

India is ranked third globally in virus deaths, according to John Hopkins University.