India's crosses 4 million coronavirus cases with record surge

A health official collects nasal swab samples from a man for a Covid-19 test at a primary health centre in Siliguri. AFP

India's total coronavirus cases surged beyond 4 million with a record rise on Saturday, making it the third country in the world to surpass that mark, following the United States and Brazil.

India added 86,432 cases of the new virus on Saturday, a global daily record, according to data from the federal health ministry.

Infections rose across the country, including in the capital New Delhi and the large states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The jump to more than 4 million cases comes only 13 days after India reached 3 million cases, accelerating sharply from the more than 100 days it took to increase by the previous 1 million.

India has logged the world's largest daily coronavirus caseload for almost a month, as its government pushes the opening up of businesses to revive a sharply contracting economy.

The number of deaths in India from the COVID-19 rose by more than 1,000 to 69,561 on Saturday.