Ever since the lockdown 4.0 was announced with many relaxations in India, the country's total number of COVID-19 cases has spiked alarmingly. India on Saturday recorded its highest spike as it added 7,964 new cases of coronavirus and 265 deaths in the last 24 hours alone. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,65,799 and the death toll stands at 4,971, according to the data released by the Health Ministry.

The record spike in coronavirus cases comes only a day after India recorded its biggest spike since January when the first case of the infection was reported in the country. On Friday, the country added 7,466 new cases, emerging as the ninth worst-hit country in the world.

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COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and not a blood disease.Courtesy: Reuters

In contrast, China, which was the origin country of the deadly virus, has reported over 84,000 total cases so far. India's number of COVID-19 cases surpass that of Turkey, which was one of the worst-hit nations by the pandemic.

State-wise tally

Maharashtra continued to remain the epicenter of the COVID-19 cases as it recorded the highest number of fresh cases in a single day. Maharashtra's fatality accounts for the country's 50 percent of the total death toll. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state stood at 62,228, with 2,682 people testing positive for the pathogen in the last 24 hours.

Tamil Nadu, which is among the worst-hit states in India, reported 874 new cases. Telangana had its biggest spike with 169 new COVID cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours. Delhi, Haryana, and Uttarakhand continued to witness record spike in the daily count of COVID-19 cases.

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(For representational purpose)Courtesy: Reuters

A positive outlook

While the number of coronavirus cases continues to spike at an alarming rate in India, the recoveries happening in parallel should give Indians a peace of mind. India has witnessed record recovery rates in the coronavirus cases with over 42 percent of total cases recovered from the disease. Maharashtra's recovery rate is above the national average, at 43.3 percent.

Taking cognizance of the matter, PM Narendra Modi wrote in an open letter that "We have displayed patience so far and we should continue to do so. This is one of the important reasons for India being safer and in a better state than many other countries."