India today recorded more than 10,000 new cases in a 24-hour span for the first time since the Covid-19 outbreak, taking the tally of patients to 2,97,535.
The country has registered 10,956 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours till this morning, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
The death toll rose to 8,498 with a record single-day spike of 396 fatalities, according to India's health ministry data.
As the number of cases keep rising fast, patients in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, which are among the worst-hit by the contagion, are struggling to find beds in hospitals for treatment.
On Thursday night, India went past the United Kingdom to become the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic, according to the Worldometer.
The number of active Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 1,41,842, while 1,47,194 people have recovered so far, the health ministry said.
Of the 396 new deaths reported till this morning, 152 were in Maharashtra and 101 in Delhi.
Out of the total 8,498 fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 3,590 deaths followed by Gujarat with 1,385 deaths and Delhi with 1,085.
The highest number of confirmed cases in the country are also from Maharashtra at 97,648 followed by Tamil Nadu at 38,716 and Delhi at 34,687.
Faced with a sharp rise in cases, Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi, had said recently that hospitals in the national capital will be reserved only for residents of the city.
Kejriwal's announcement came amid allegations that hospitals are refusing to admit new patients.
However, his decision was overturned by Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal.
