India reported the world's highest-ever single-day surge with 314,835 new cases, pushing the total infections to 1,59,30,965, Union Health Ministry data reported on Thursday.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (USCDC), the new cases are the highest single-day rise reported anywhere in the world. The highest yet for the USA was +313,310 on January 8, 2021.  Presently, India accounts for 40 per cent of the world's infections.

In yet another record, 2,104 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 184,657.

States like Maharashtra reported 67.5k new cases, Uttar Pradesh 33.1k, Delhi 24.6k, Karnataka 23.6k in one day.

In view of the continuous surge in infection cases, the Maharashtra state government has announced fresh restrictions on office attendance, marriage ceremonies and travel. The Goa also decided to impose a night curfew till April 30 to tackle the rise in cases.

Meanwhile, several small hospitals in Delhi struggled to replenish oxygen supply for coronavirus patients on Thursday morning, even as some big healthcare facilities received fresh stock overnight.

Hospitals in the city have been grappling with a shortage of oxygen supply amid spiralling COVID-19 cases. The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday night ordered the Centre to "forthwith" provide oxygen by whatever means to hospitals here facing shortage of the gas in treating serious COVID-19 patients.

Despite the rising number of cases, polling is underway in West Bengal, which registered its highest-ever single-day spike, with 9,819 people testing positive.

In other news, 24 COVID-19 patients died at a hospital run by the Nashik Municipal Corporation on Wednesday after oxygen supply was disrupted due to a leakage in the main oxygen storage tank.

On the vaccination front, a total 13 million people have been vaccinated since January 16, still a tiny proportion in the over 1.3 billion population, IBNS said quoting agencies