India sees record daily number of COVID infections as 2nd wave prompts tougher restrictions

New Delhi — India reported 103,558 new coronavirus cases on Monday, crossing the 100,000 mark for daily infections for the first time since the pandemic began. With a total of 12.6 million people having tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, India has the world's third-largest epidemic by caseload. Only the U.S. with 30 million and Brazil with just under 13 million have recorded more cases of the disease.

India also reported 478 more COVID-19 deaths on Monday, taking the total to 165,101, and hospitalizations are rising along with the number of positive cases. The daily number of new cases has been rising since February amid a second wave of coronavirus infections. During the first wave in September, daily cases peaked at 97,570, but those numbers dropped sharply over the winter to about 10,000 cases per day.