4 years ago
India has overtaken Russia to become the world's third worst-affected nation by the coronavirus with nearly 700,000 cases.
The Indian government said it confirmed more than 24,000 new cases during a 24-hour period through Monday morning. This brought the total number of infections to over 697,000. The death toll has reached nearly 19,700.
Johns Hopkins University in the United States puts India as a country with the third highest number of infections in the world, after the US and Brazil.
India's government is reopening its economy, citing the low mortality rate of under 3 percent among people infected with the virus, as well as a lower infection rate per 1 million people, compared with Western nations.
Last month, the government eased its stay-at-home restrictions to allow economic activities to restart.
It had planned to reopen the Taj Mahal from Monday. The popular sightseeing spot had been closed since mid-March. But the plan has been retracted due to an increase in infections around the site.
India's health care system is said to be under pressure especially in the capital New Delhi and the commercial hub of Mumbai, where the virus is spreading.
Local governments are racing to expand testing systems and prepare more beds for patients.
