By Spy Uganda CorrespondentĀ
India: India on Friday reported over 332,730 Covid-19 new infections, recording the world’s highest daily tally for the second day in a row as its fragile healthcare system collapses under the viral catastrophe.
Daily deaths from the virus also jumped by 2,263, a record for the second-worst hit nation in the world, to reach a total of 186,920, the federal health ministry data showed.
The new 332,730 cases recorded in the last 24 hours from Thursday took the overall tally since the pandemic to 16.2 million cases, the second-highest after the United States with 31.9 million infections.
The South Asian nation is going through a disastrous second wave of Covid -19 infections. The Cases began rising in February and in subsequent months, large crowds gathered for religious festivals and political rallies in various parts of the country, mostly without masks.
There are also growing concerns about new strains of the virus that are potentially more contagious and according to reports, the country’s most health facilities are full and health works are being overwhelmed by the escalating numbers every day.
During the first wave of infection, India imposed a nationwide lockdown between late March and May.
So far in April, cases have risen significantly India has reported more than 4 million cases as of Friday and at least 24,452 people have died. Media reports suggestĀ that the actual death toll could potentially be higher.
The high number of infections have exacerbated the pressure on Indiaās medical infrastructure. Overwhelmed hospitals are turning away critically ill patients due to a shortage of beds.
AĀ severe oxygen supply shortage, partly due to uneven distribution across states, has led to the deaths of many Covid-19 patients. The government has sinceĀ diverted industrial oxygen supplies for medical use.
