FILE PHOTO: Commuters wait in a queue to have their temperature checked amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a railway station in Mumbai, India, August 27, 2021. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
NEW DELHI — India reported 45,083 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, according to data from the health ministry, driven by surging cases in the southern state of Kerala.
The country’s COVID-19 cases stood at about 32.7 million, with deaths rising by 460 to 437,830 in the last 24 hours, data showed.
In Kerala, where cases have spiked in the wake of a major festival, the state government reported 31,265 new infections late on Saturday – comprising nearly 70% of the country’s total new daily cases.
The state plans to lock down hard-hit areas and restrict public movement to mainly essential services and emergencies, according to an order issued on Saturday.