India reports record 15,413 COVID-19 cases

NEW DELHI

India registered 15,413 more cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as of Sunday -- its highest single-day hike so far -- with total confirmed cases now at 410,461, according to the Ministry of Health.

Data from the Health Ministry showed that 306 deaths had been confirmed, raising the overall toll to 13,254.

Some 128,205 cases have been confirmed so far in the western state of Maharashtra, which remains the worst-affected state in the country, followed by the southern Tamil Nadu and capital Delhi.

A 1,000-bed temporary hospital is being set up in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, to help deal with the growing number of infections, said local officials in a statement.

The hospital, which will begin functioning by the end of the month, will be equipped with 300 intensive care beds with oxygen supply, as well as other facilities.

Meanwhile, drug manufacturer Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has said it launched the drug Favipiravir, under the brand name FabiFlu, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 patients in India.

India suffers from the fourth-most number of cases of COVID-19, following the US, Brazil and Russia, according to data compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University. It is eighth in death toll.

The pandemic has killed more than 464,000 people worldwide, with an excess of 8.7 million confirmed cases including over 4.3 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the university.