India Reports 12,881 New COVID-19 Cases in One Day, "Largest Increase Since Outbreak"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The number of new daily confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in India reached 13,000 on the 18th, marking the largest single-day increase since the outbreak began.

According to local media such as India Today, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in India rose by 12,881 in one day to 366,946. The newly confirmed cases recorded on this day represent the largest scale since the outbreak. The previous record was 11,929 new cases reported on the 14th.

The number of COVID-19 deaths increased by 334 in the past 24 hours. This figure had surged to 2,003 the previous day due to the inclusion of previously unreported statistics but returned to the usual level on this day.

By region, the capital New Delhi set a record with 2,414 new confirmed cases in one day. In early last month, the number of new COVID-19 cases in New Delhi was around 300 to 400 per day, but recently it has increased significantly to around 2,000.

The Indian government has been gradually lifting the lockdown measures imposed at the end of March to prevent the spread of COVID-19, leading to a rapid increase in confirmed cases. On the 8th of this month, most shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, and religious facilities in India resumed operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the rising death toll and urged each state to expand testing facilities and take measures to ensure appropriate treatment. He also emphasized to the public not to fall into confusion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.