With 359 deaths, India’s Covid toll crosses 8,000

NEW DELHI: India crossed two grim Covid-19 milestones on Wednesday by registering 359 casualties — breaching the 300-mark in its daily death count for the first time — as the cumulative toll crossed the 8,000-mark to reach 8,105.

Spurred by the record number of fresh cases in a day in at least four states — Maharashtra (3,254), Tamil Nadu (1,927), Gujarat (510) and Andhra Pradesh (218) — the country also recorded its highest daily caseload at 10911, pushing the cumulative number of virus-affected people to 2,87,025.

Three days after curbs were lifted to allow the opening of many more offices and shops, Delhi and Mumbai, the worst affected cities in the country, registered their highest single day casualties at 79 and 97, respectively. Maharashtra witnessed its highest single-day toll at 149, taking the state’s cumulative toll to 3,438.

The previous highest toll in the state was 139 on June 5. Mumbai alone accounts for 1,855 of Maharashtra’s total 3,438 deaths. Mumbai’s toll of 97 deaths on Wednesday takes the average toll in the city in June to 58 casualties daily.

Maharashtra saw an exponential surge in cases and deaths a week after the first phase of ‘Mission Begin Again’ took off. Mumbai’s single-day toll of 97 is way ahead of the previous highest figure of 64 deaths which was recorded on June 8. Maharashtra’s cumulative cases now stand at 94,041. With 79 deaths on Wednesday, Delhi is close to the 1,000-mark at 984. Delhi recorded 1,501 new cases on Wednesday, taking the cumulative count beyond the 32,000-mark to 32,810.

UP recorded 20 deaths — its highest single-day tally. The previous single-day highest casualties were recorded a day before with 18 deaths.