India's COVID-19 tally crosses 5 lakh mark; more than 18,000 cases reported in a day

As the coronavirus cases in India continue to spread rapidly, India is now just behind the United States, Brazil, and Russia in terms of the total confirmed cases. It is, therefore, the biggest epicenter of the coronavirus disease pandemic in Asia and the fourth worst-affected nation in the world.

With over 18,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count on Saturday crossed the five lakh-mark, while the death toll has crossed the 15,600-mark as well.

At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in the country has reached 5,08,953 cases, which includes 1,97,387 active cases; 2,95,881 cured, discharged, or migrated patients, and 15,685 deaths.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 18,552 new COVID-19 cases and 384 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, marking a significant spike. In fact, this is the highest single-day spike yet.

Maharashtra continues to be the epicenter of the coronavirus spread where the number of cases has witnessed an even large spike recently. According to the Health Ministry, Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with 1,52,765 positive cases of COVID-19 infection and 7,106 deaths.

Notably, Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, has become the hotbed of the coronavirus spread in the state where the number of cases has crossed the 72,100-mark and the death toll has topped the 4,100-mark as well. At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in Mumbai showed 72,175 cases and 4,179 deaths.

One of the real challenges in Mumbai is controlling the disease contamination in Asia's biggest slum -- Dharavi, which is an extremely densely-populated region.

Maharashtra is followed by Delhi with 77,240 cases. The national capital crossed Tamil Nadu to take up second place in the list due to a recent massive surge in the number of cases.

Tamil Nadu is third on the list with 74,622 cases.

After Tamil Nadu comes Gujarat, where the COVID-19 figure stands at 30,158 cases with 22,038 patients recovered and 1,772 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 20,943 cases of which 13,583 have recovered and 630 patients are dead.

Rajasthan has reported 16,660 positive cases so far of which 13,062 patients have recovered and 380 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In West Bengal, as many as 16,190 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 10,535 recovered and 616 people succumbed to it.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 3,877 people have been detected positive for coronavirus so far.

The Delhi government said that the highest number of tests in a single day (around 21,144.tests) was conducted on Friday. "Delhi is now following the strategy of very aggressive testing and isolation," said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on this day.

The central government still keeps denying that community transmission is taking place in India.