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India overtakes China in number of COVID-19 cases

May 16 ,2020. 4 hours ago – 16:50 KYODO NEWS

(Passengers are seen in the queue with social distance when they are entering to the city railway station for travel in the special train, in Bhubaneswar, India, on May 15, 2020.)[NurPhoto/Getty/Kyodo] 

NEW DELHI – The Indian government announced Saturday that the total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the country stands at 85,940, overtaking China for the first time.

Since May 7, the daily increase in confirmed cases in the world’s second most populous country has consistently exceeded 3,000, and on some days even passed 4,000.

While India continues to be under a strict nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 to slow the spread of COVID-19, the government is gradually restarting economic activity, and so the rise in infections is likely to continue.

India’s death toll from the virus stands at 2,752, lower than the 4,633 people who died from the disease in China, which has a total of 82,941 confirmed cases as of Friday.

CR: KYODO NEWS