Coronavirus: India’s COVID-19 cases top 600,000 as country becomes virus hotspot
The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in India has topped 600,000, with health authorities reporting 19,148 new cases in the past 24 hours.
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As of Thursday, India’s virus tally stood at 604,641 infections, with 100,000 of those infections reported in the past four days.
India’s Health Ministry said the death toll from the virus was now 17,834 people.
The worst hit three states, including those home to the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, account for more than 60 percent of the country’s cases.
Despite the surge in infections, the western beach of state of Goa, a popular backpacking destination, opened for tourism on Thursday with the state government allowing 250 hotels to reopen after more than three months.
Tourists will either have to carry COVID-19 negative certificates or get tested on arrival.
The state has so far reported 1,387 positive cases with four deaths.
Many industries and businesses have reopened across the country, and Indians have cautiously returned to the streets. Schools remain closed.
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