Virus cases in India surge past 100,000

AKIPRESS.COM - The number of coronavirus cases in India has surged past 100,000, and infections are on the rise in home states of the migrant workers who left cities and towns during the nationwide lockdown, AP reports. India's Health Ministry on Tuesday reported a total of 101,139 cases and 3,163 deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Almost 39,000 people have recovered from the illness.
Since last week, India has averaged almost 4,000 new cases a day. The country's worst-affected state, Maharashtra, has reported more than 35,000 cases and 1,249 fatalities.
The recent surge in recorded infections has largely been attributed to an increase in testing. Health experts, however, worry that India is still lagging behind in that area. The country has one of the lowest testing rates in the world, with only 1.5 samples tested per 1,000 people, compared to 32 in the United States.
India extended its lockdown on Sunday to May 31 but gave power to states to allow the reopening of businesses to spur economic activity.