No other country has recorded over 3 Lakh Covid-19 cases in a day than INDIA.

India added more coronavirus cases in a day than any country has since the pandemic began even as Asia’s third-largest economy accelerated its vaccination drive to fight the world’s fastest-growing renewed wave of infections.

The South Asian nation reported 3.15 lakh fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to more than 15.9 crore, according to the Health Ministry’s update as on April 22. That is 16 straight days of a record spike in new infections, bringing back ragged memories of what it was like in September last year when the virus was spreading at an aggressive pace.

Only two-and-a-half months ago, India on an average was reporting 11,000 cases a week. Now, on an average in a week, India adds 2.6 lakh cases compared with around 63,000 each in the U.S.and Brazil,the other two nations with a massive outbreak. Home to 130 crore people, India is only trailing the U.S. in total number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

India isn’t only reporting most new cases, but also recording highest daily deaths in the world after Brazil. More than 1,400 Indians succumbed to the disease daily on an average in the last seven days compared with Brazil’s over 2,700 deaths.

In terms of deaths per million populations India, ranks among the lowest, largely because of its size. India’s deaths per million is around 128 against the global average of around 380.Videos of crowded mortuaries and funeral sites in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh,circulating on social media paint a grim picture.

According to Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare, age-wise Covid-19 death comparison between first and second wave showed more deaths happened this time in people aged above 70 years.While Maharashtra remained the epicentre, states such as Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are also enduring a severe surge.

India has conducted more than 27 crore tests so far, with over 16.5 lakh sampled in a day. Amid rising cases, the central government has urged states to increase the percentage of RT-PCR tests to over 70%. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala and Chhattisgarh, among other states with large outbreaks,.