Coronavirus: India surges past 5-lakh mark, reports over 18,000 COVID-19 cases in single day

India's COVID-19 tally crossed 5 lakh mark with yet another highest single-day spike of 18,552 new cases.  

New Delhi: India raced past the 5 lakh mark in COVID-19 cases on Saturday (June 27), just six days after the caseload had crossed 4 lakh, even as the day’s fresh infections touched another new peak, surging past 18,000 for the first time.

With India reporting 18,552 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 infections crossed the 5 lakh-mark to reach 5,08,953 on Saturday including 1,97,387 active cases and 2,95,881 recoveries, according to the data released by Union ministry of health and family welfare.

The death toll climbed to 15,685 as 384 deaths were recorded by the health ministry in the last 24 hours. It is the first time in four days that the toll had dipped below 400.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said 2,20,479 RT-PCR samples have been tested in the last 24 hours. A total of 79,96,707 samples have been tested till date.

For the first time since Maharashtra reported its first COVID-19 case on March 9, the state on Friday recorded 5,024 infections – the highest-ever count reported in a single day till now.

With this, the state has recorded 1,52,765 cases. The high number of cases are being attributed to increased testing by the state government. In the last 24 hours, 23,849 people have been tested for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand became the second state after West Bengal to extend the lockdown till July 31. “Considering the seriousness of the situation, the state government has decided to extend the lockdown till 31 July,” chief minister Hemant Soren tweeted.