India breaks world’s daily COVID-19 record with 314,835 new cases in last 24 hours

India reports 300,000+ new COVID-19 infections as the country’s total nears 16 million

• India sees a huge spike in COVID-19 outbreak
• India’s total COVID-19 infection count is over 15.9 million
• 2,104 new deaths were announced in the same period

Indian authorities reported 314,835 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the country’s total infection count to over 15.9 million. 2,104 new deaths were announced in the same period, with fatalities reaching a cumulative 184,657 since the beginning of India’s coronavirus epidemic.

India has topped the world’s record for daily COVID-19 new case tallies as the country sees a huge spike in the virus outbreak.

Today’s numbers blew past the previous global one-day high of 297,430 infections, which was tallied in the US in January.

The recent surge in India’s coronavirus outbreak is believed to be driven by a new indigenous variant of the pathogen, dubbed B1617, which contains two mutations that appear to make the bug more infectious. 

India’s record-breaking COVID-19 figures come as the country works to create its own locally-developed coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, which was reported to be 78% effective against the illness on Wednesday by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech firm. Granted emergency approval by health authorities earlier this year, millions of Covaxin shots have already been distributed across the country, which aims to churn out 100 million doses per month by September.

Over 13 million vaccinations have been carried out in India so far, including dozes of Covaxin as well as a jab developed by the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca, manufactured locally as Covishield, and Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.