India crosses China's Covid-19 tally

India has registered 85,215 coronavirus cases, data from state health departments showed on Friday, crossing the COVID-19 tally of China where the virus emerged late last year. India now is ranked 11th in the world in terms of coronavirus cases.

However, India's fatality rate still remains significantly better than China's at 3.2 per cent compared to 5.5 per cent. More than 27,000 people have recovered in India, according to the latest available data from the Union Health Ministry.

Across the world, more than 44 lakh people have been affected by the novel coronavirus with the US reporting nearly a third of the cases - by far the highest. Over 3 lakh people have died from the deadly respiratory disease. Russia, UK and Spain are at second, third and fourth spots with well over 2 lakh cases each.

In China, less than 100 people are now undergoing treatment for COVID-19, even though some new cases have emerged in the eastern city of Wuhan - the epicentre of the deadly virus. China has 4,633 deaths due to COVID-19 but more than 78,000 have been discharged after recovery.

While China and several other countries have begun reopening their economies, fresh concerns there are fresh concerns about a possible re-emergence of the virus.

In India, more people tested positive for the deadly virus infection on Friday from Kashmir to Kerala and from Karnataka to Bihar, even as authorities talked about greater relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown beginning Monday to contain economic costs of the pandemic.

In its morning 8 am update, the Union Health Ministry said the number of deaths due to COVID-19 across India has risen to 2,649 and the number of cases has climbed to 81,970, registering an increase of 100 deaths and 3,967 cases in the last 24 hours since Thursday morning

Dhaka/Mukul