India's COVID-19 infections at over 3-month high led by record jump in Maharashtra

NEW DELHI - India's coronavirus infections surged to more than a three-month high on Friday, led by a record daily increase in the western state of Maharashtra, where authorities have adopted fresh curbs to restrain the spread of the disease.

India's overall tally of infections stands at 11.51 million, the highest after the United States and Brazil. The country reported 39,726 new coronavirus cases on Friday, its highest since Nov. 30. Deaths rose by 154 to 159,370, data from the health ministry showed. Maharashtra, home to India's commercial capital, Mumbai, reported record 25,833 cases, accounting for 65% of the country's new infections in the past 24 hours. This marks the single highest daily case count in the state, topping the numbers of September 2020, when India was adding close to 100,000 cases a day.