Single-day spike of over 11,000 takes India past 3 lakh COVID-19 cases

The spread of coronavirus in India is continuing its upward trajectory, with the number of cases crossing the 3-lakh mark.

The ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday announced that the number of COVID-19 cases in India had reached 3,08,993. India passed the figure of 3 lakh cases after it recorded the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases till date, witnessing 11,458 cases in the 24-hour period ending at 8am on Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 deaths recorded in the 24-hour period was 386, taking the total tally of fatalities to 8,884. According to the ministry of health and family welfare, of the number of total COVID-19 cases, 1,45,779 are active cases.

Coronavirus cases in India have surged since late March. India recorded its first COVID-19 case on January 30 and reached the figure of 50 cases only by March 10. India reached 1 lakh COVID-19 cases on May 18, 110 days after recording the first case. However, the number of COVID-19 cases doubled from 1 lakh to 2 lakh by June 3, in a period of just 15 days. The rise from 2 lakh to 3 lakh cases took 10 days.

While India’s fatality rate has been remained low compared with European nations and the US, the death rate has also risen in the past two months.

India recorded its 1,000th COVID-19 death on April 29. The number of COVID-19 fatalities crossed the figure of 5,000 on May 30. India crossed the figure of 7,000 COVID-19 deaths on June 8.

Maharashtra continues to be the state that is worst affected by COVID-19, in terms of both cases and fatalities. Maharashtra crossed the figure of 1 lakh COVID-19 cases on Friday.

As of Friday evening, Maharashtra had 1,01,141 cases and 3,717 deaths. On Friday, it was announced that Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde had tested positive for COVID-19. Munde is the third minister in the Maharashtra government to be infected after Jitendra Awhad and Ashok Chavan.