India becomes 7th-worst-hit by death toll, overtakes Spain

In its most recent update, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Government of India placed the total number of cases at 1192915 and the death toll at 28732. The ministry said that 753050 people have so far recovered from the infection.

India’s doubling time for total cases stands at 21.6 days, for active cases at 32.8 days, and for deaths at 30.4 days.

This has strongly boosted the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients to 63.13 per cent. The total number of cases include 4, 11,133 active cases, 7, 53,050 cured/discharged/migrated and 28,732 deaths, the Health Ministry informed.

Now, India is the third-most-affected country by total cases and seventh by death toll, has added 256,734 cases — 21.5% of its total tally — in the past 7 days alone.

India is responding with utmost urgency to coronavirus from the very beginning and has been continuously strengthening preparedness and response measures, WHO Regional Director (South-East Asia) Poonam Khetrapal Singh said on Wednesday.

"India is responding with utmost urgency to COVID-19 from the start. It`s been continuously strengthening preparedness and response measures, including ramping up testing capacities, readying more hospitals, arranging and stocking up medicines and essentials," Singh said at a virtual briefing.

Replying to the question of what more needs to be done in controlling the spread of COVID-19, she said all countries including India must continue to implement core public health and social distancing measures.

(With inputs from agencies)