India reports 971 more COVID-19 deaths, 78,524 new cases of infection

New Delhi, October 8, 2020

India today registered 971 more deaths due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 78,524 new cases of infection as the spread of the deadly virus continued to cause concern in several parts of the country.

With these, the death toll so far due to the disease has increased to 105,526 and the total number of cases of infection has risen to 6,835,655 since the first case was reported in the country in late January this year.

Also, the number of those who have recovered from COVID-19 continued to increase and stood at 5,827,704 as of this morning.

The number of active cases has gone down further by 5,458 since yesterday to 902,425.

The highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 in a single day in the country -- 1,290 -- was reported on September 16. India had reported 986 deaths yesterday.

The highest number of fresh cases of infection in a 24-hour period -- 97,894 -- was reported on September 17. The country had recorded 72,049 new cases yesterday.

This is the fourth consecutive day and the sixth time in ten days that the country has reported less than 1,000 deaths in a single day. It is also the fifth consecutive day and the seventh time in ten days that it has recorded less than 80,000 fresh cases of infection in a 24-hour period.

The country has reported more than 1,200 deaths in a 24-hour period four times in the past 28 days. It has registered more than 1,100 deaths on 18 of the last 31 days and a thousand-plus deaths for 31 of the last 38 days.

India, which has been recording more fresh cases of infection than any other country for the past several days, has reported more than 90,000 new cases in a 24-hour period for 12 of the last 33 days and more than 80,000 cases for 27 of the last 36 days. It has reported more than 75,000 cases on 38 of the last 43 days, more than 60,000 cases on 57 of the last 58 days and more than 50,000 new cases for the 70th consecutive day today.

The world has reported a total of more than 36.077 million cases of COVID-19 so far while the global death toll has increased to 1,054,674 this morning, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University in the United States, which is tracking the pandemic.

India is placed second in the world in terms of the total number of cases of infection so far, behind the United States (more than 7.549 million cases) and ahead of Brazil (more than 5 million cases).

In terms of the number of deaths, the country ranks third after the US (211,793) and Brazil (148,228).

Figures released this morning by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare showed that the 971 new deaths reported in India today included 355 in Maharashtra, the worst-hit state, and 113 in Karnataka.

They were followed by 67 deaths in Tamil Nadu, 58 in West Bengal, 47 in Uttar Pradesh, 35 in Delhi, 34 in Andhra Pradesh, 33 in Punjab, 30 each in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, 22 in Kerala, 19 in Haryana, 18 in Odisha, 16 in Rajasthan, 14 in Jammu & Kashmir, 12 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 11 in Uttarakhand, ten in Jharkhand, nine in Goa, seven in Assam, five in Puducherry, three in Tripura, two each in Bihar, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Manipur, and one in Arunachal Pradesh.

No new deaths were reported today from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim.

Of the total of 105,526 deaths so far in India, Maharashtra accounts for the highest number at 39,072, followed by 9,984 in Tamil Nadu, 9,574 in Karnataka, 6,200 in Uttar Pradesh, 6,086 in Andhra Pradesh, 5,616 in national capital Delhi, 5,376 in West Bengal, 3,712 in Punjab, 3,531 in Gujarat, 2,518 in Madhya Pradesh, 1,590 in Rajasthan, 1,528 in Haryana, 1,282 in Jammu & Kashmir, 1,201 in Telangana, 1,134 in Chhattisgarh, 958 in Odisha, 927 in Bihar, 906 in Kerala, 785 in Assam 767 in Jharkhand, 688 in Uttarakhand, 551 in Puducherry, 477 in Goa, 304 in Tripura, 231 in Himachal Pradesh, 182 in Chandigarh, 80 in Manipur, 63 in Ladakh, 60 in Meghalaya, 54 in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, 49 in Sikkim, 21 in Arunachal Pradesh, 17 in Nagaland, and two in Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

Mizoram has not reported any COVID deaths so far while Lakshadweep Islands have not reported any cases of infection until now.

The total of 6,835,655 cases in India so far include the 105,526 patients who have died as well as the 5,827,704 patients who have recovered, which means that the number of active cases in the country stood at 902,425 as of this morning, down 5,458 from yesterday.

The number of patients who have recovered has increased by 83,011 since yesterday and the recovery rate has risen to 85.25%, according to the data.

Of the total of 78,524 new cases of infection reported in the country today, Maharashtra accounted for 14,578, followed by 10,947 in Karnataka, 10,606 in Kerala, 5,447 in Tamil Nadu, 5,120 in Andhra Pradesh, 3,455 in West Bengal and 3,389 in Uttar Pradesh.

Other states have reported less than 3,000 new cases each in the past 24 hours.

As far as total number of cases so far is concerned, Maharashtra tops the list with 1,480,489, followed by 734,427 in Andhra Pradesh, 668,652 in Karnataka, 635,855 in Tamil Nadu, 424,326 in Uttar Pradesh 298,107 in Delhi, 280,504 in West Bengal, 253,405 in Kerala, 240,998 in Odisha, and 206,644 in Telangana -- the ten most affected states.

NNN