Covid-19: India added 100,000 cases in less than a week; tally over 500,000

A record rise of 18,552 cases in 24 hours pushed up India’s Covid tally beyond the half-a-million mark on Saturday, exactly three months after the worldwide count was at this level and 78 days after the US reached the number.

More than five months after the first batch of positive cases was detected in Wuhan (China) on January 10, the global Covid-19 tally is about to breach the 10-million figure.

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In India, the last 100,000 cases were added in less than a week. Five states — Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh — account for about 67 per cent of the total cases and 80 per cent of the deaths. With epidemiologists predicting a peak in July-August, the pace could continue on an upwards trajectory. India is at number four in terms of Covid cases, and eighth in terms of deaths.