Covid-19 Factoid: 50,000+ cases added to India's tally on consecutive days

While India has surpassed Italy's death toll to become the fifth-worst-hit country by fatalities, Mexico has overtaken the UK on this count to become the third-most-affected

The global count of confirmed coronavirus cases currently stands at over the 17.5-million mark. Deaths related to the Covid-19 pandemic reported so far are 677,543, with the US accounting for the biggest share of fatalities (over 155,000). Total recoveries worldwide, meanwhile, stand at almost 11 million.

India now has over 1.63 million cases, the third-highest in the world. Of these, over 1 million, or 65 per cent, have recovered, and 545,318 are active cases.

Here are some data points mapping the spread of the pandemic:

#1. India recorded over 50,000 new cases for two days in a row

In another grim milestone, India recorded its highest-ever single-day spike of 55,078 cases on July 30, surpassing its previous record of 52,123 cases, set just a day before. India has added over 45,000 new cases on each of the past nine days, taking its case tally to over 1.63 million. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number of new cases among all India states.

#2. India has surpassed Italy in death toll to become fifth-most-affected country

India recorded 779 deaths on July 30 which took its death toll to 35,747, more than Italy’s toll of 35,132. India now is the fifth-most-affected country globally by fatalities, next only to the US, Brazil, Mexico and the UK (in that order). Mexico, meanwhile, surpassed the US’s death toll to become the third-most-affected country by deaths.

#3. Maharashtra added over 11,000 new cases in a day

 Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in India with over 411,000 reported cases, hit another grim milestone on July 30 by adding over 11,000 new cases. This was the highest-ever single-day spike for any Indian state. Maharashtra surpassed its own July 22 record of 10,576 daily cases. At present, the state has 148,454 active cases, and almost 250,000 patients have recovered.