India’s coronavirus cases surge by another 96,000 infections

18 September 2020, 09:44

Virus Outbreak India
Virus Outbreak India. Picture: PA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fresh appeal to people to use face masks and maintain social distancing.

India’s coronavirus cases have jumped by another 96,424 infections in the past 24 hours, showing little signs of slowing down.

The health ministry raised the nation’s confirmed total since the pandemic began to more than 5.21 million. It said 1,174 more people died in the past 24 hours, for a total of 84,372.

India is expected within weeks to surpass the reported infections seen in the United States, where more than 6.67 million people have been reported infected, the most in the world.

Coronavirus graphic
(PA Graphics)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a fresh appeal to people to use face masks and maintain social distancing as his government chalked out plans to handle big congregations expected during a major Hindu festival season, beginning next month.

Meanwhile, Israel is set to go back into a full lockdown to try to contain an outbreak that has steadily worsened for months amid government infighting.

The three-week lockdown, beginning at 2pm local time (12pm BST) on Friday, will include the closure of many businesses, strict limits on public gatherings, and will largely confine people to within a kilometre (0.6 miles) of their homes.

The closures coincide with the Jewish High Holidays, when people typically visit their families and gather for large prayer services.

Indonesian Covid-19 mural
A coronavirus-themed mural intended to remind people to always wear mask in public places, in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia (AP)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that even stricter measures may be needed to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Elsewhere, New Zealand has reported no new confirmed cases of the coronavirus for the first time in more than five weeks as hopes rise that an outbreak discovered in Auckland last month has been stamped out.

Friday also marked the fourth consecutive day without any cases of community transmission. All recent cases have been found among quarantined travellers returning from abroad.

Authorities have still not pinpointed the origin of the August outbreak, which they believe was imported. Auckland was temporarily placed into lockdown as the country continued its strategy of trying to completely eliminate community spread of the virus.

New Zealand has reported a total of just over 1,800 cases and 25 deaths.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

American Easter egg

White House’s annual Easter egg roll to be attended by 40,000 people

Barbers in Paris

Proposal to ban discrimination over a person’s hair passes first legal hurdle

Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian Authority names new government following pressure to reform

Arvind Kejriwal

Opposition leader Kejriwal locked up for further four days, court rules

Resident clears rubble from home

Russia wears down Ukrainian defences with missile and drone attacks

Pope Francis

Pope urges priests to avoid ‘clerical hypocrisy’ in Maundy Thursday speech

Wagner mercenaries

Wagner mercenaries helping to kill civilians in Mali, say human rights groups