Shawdesh desk:

India’s confirmed coronavirus tally has exceeded 4.6 million after a record surge of 97,570 new cases in 24 hours, reports AP.

India on Saturday also reported another 1,201 deaths, taking total fatalities to 77,472.

Infections are growing faster in India than anywhere else in the world and it is the second worst-hit country behind the United States.

The Health Ministry said that over three-fourth of reported COVID-19 cases had either recovered or been discharged. The country’s recovery rate was at 77.7 percent.

“The gap between the percentage of recovered cases and active cases is progressively growing wide,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, cases in the western state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, have passed 1 million as the virus continues to surge unabated through its rural and urban areas.

Maharashtra is the worst affected state with more than 28,000 COVID-19 fatalities. Nowhere has been the virus more deadly than in Maharashtra, where it has killed 2.8% of those with confirmed infections, well above the national mortality rate of nearly 1.7%.

The pandemic has been economically devastating for India. Its economy contracted nearly 24% in the second quarter, the worst among the world’s top economies.