India's coronavirus case tally nears 3.8 million as country reopens
CGTN
Medical staff treat a patient inside the emergency ward of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, during the coronavirus outbreak, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, July 27, 2020. /Reuters

Medical staff treat a patient inside the emergency ward of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, during the coronavirus outbreak, in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India, July 27, 2020. /Reuters

India's coronavirus infections rose to almost 3.8 million on Wednesday, as states continued to relax rules on movement despite the surge in cases.

The country reported 78,357 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data, taking total infections to 3,769,523. Some 66,333 people have died.

India's total cases lag only behind the United States and Brazil, which it will overtake in days based on current trends.

India's economy shrank by nearly a quarter in April-June, data showed on Monday, much more than forecast and placing increasing pressure on policymakers to kick-start growth, despite the high number of new cases.

The chief minister of Goa, a popular tourist destination that recently relaxed quarantine rules to attract visitors, said on Wednesday he had tested positive for the virus.

Authorities in the capital New Delhi are due to meet later on Wednesday to discuss the reopening of the city's metro, despite fresh cases there sitting at a two-month high.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a nationwide lockdown in March when the country was reporting fewer than 100 daily cases, winning praise from some experts for early action but warnings from others that the restrictions had been imposed too soon.

But because of the lockdown policy, the economy is taking a serious toll. According to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the April-June quarter (Q1) is estimated to have slipped by a sharp 23.9 percent, which is the worst contraction in the history of the Indian economy.

On the other hand, Delhi recorded the lowest air quality index (AQI) – a measure of pollutants – for the month of August since records began in 2015, based on data released from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday.

Experts told local media that a reason behind improved air quality is due to less movement of people and vehicular traffic due to coronavirus restrictions.

India reported nearly two million COVID-19 cases in August, the highest monthly tally in the world since the pandemic began. August was also the worst month for fatalities with 28,000 virus deaths.

(With input from agencies)