India recorded a spike of 18,653 in COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours pushing the total tally of positive cases to 5,85,493, according to the Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Wednesday.

 

India is now just behind the United States, Brazil, and Russia in terms of the total confirmed cases, reports said.

 

With the rise in more than 18,000 cases consecutively for days, India has become the biggest epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the fourth worst-affected country in the world.

 

On the brighter side, the number of recovered cases in the country has surpassed the active cases and a total of 3,47,978 people have been discharged from hospitals or migrated so far. The recovery rate is 59.07 per cent as active cases stand at 2,20,114, the Ministry said.

 

Meanwhile, with as many as 507 new COVID-19 fatalities in the last 24 hours, India’s death toll has reached 17,400, the Ministry added.

 

Maharashtra remained the worst hit state in the country with as many as 4,878 new cases. The state has a total of 1,74,761 cases and 7,855 deaths.

 

Tamil Nadu is on the second spot with 90,167 confirmed cases and 1,201 fatalities followed by Delhi with a total of 87,360 cases, including 2,742 deaths and 58,348 recoveries.