In India 46% of the new covid-19 cases recorded worldwide and 25% of deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Worldwide, 5.7 million new cases were reported last week and more than 93,000 deaths, the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological report. India reported nearly 2.6 million new cases, a 20% increase on the previous week, and 23,231 deaths.
The figures are based on official tallies, so India’s proportion could be even larger if, as many experts believe, a large number of cases and deaths are not being recorded there as the system becomes overwhelmed. India accounts for almost 18% of the world’s population.
There are signs that India’s outbreak is spreading to its neighbors. Nepal recorded a 137% increase in cases to 31,088 last week, while Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 outbreak was also growing, the WHO said.