Coronavirus claims over 500 more lives in India

NEW DELHI

India reported 507 new deaths and more than 18,653 coronavirus infections on Wednesday.

According to the Health Ministry, the new fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours pushed the death toll up to 17,400, as the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 585,493, including 347,912 recoveries.

Over 8.8 million people had been tested in the country of 1.3 billion by Tuesday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research.

As India marked its National Doctors Day on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the role of healthcare professionals in the country’s fight against the virus.

According to several media reports, at least 70 doctors have died of the disease in India so far.

“India salutes our doctors -- exceptional care givers who are at the forefront of a spirited fight against Covid-19,” the premier said in a tweet.

India, which stands fourth in the world in terms of number of infections, had the third highest case count in June after the US and Brazil.

It was also fourth in the number of deaths last month, behind the US, Brazil, and Mexico.