India reported over 17,000 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, pushing the country's total above 500,000, federal health ministry data showed on Saturday, with infections surging in major cities including the capital New Delhi.
India has the world's fourth-biggest outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19, below only the United States, Brazil and Russia in confirmed infections, according to a Reuters tally.
Infections are expected to continue rising steadily in India. Experts advising the federal government say the authorities should now prioritize reducing mortality over containing the spread of the virus.