India records over 200,000 new COVID cases for the first time

India reports 200,739 cases over last 24 hours as states scramble to control virus and hospitals run out of capacity.

India has reported a record 200,739 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, according to data issued by the health ministry, as many hospitals treating coronavirus patients reported severe shortages of beds and oxygen supplies. Deaths stood at 1,038, taking the total to 173,123, the data showed on Thursday. The country’s total caseload reached 14.1 million, just behind the United States that leads the global tally with 31.4 million cases. According to the statistics, the nation’s capital New Delhi recorded 17,282 cases over the past 24 hours – the highest single-day figure so far.