India virus cases surge nearly 32,700

New Delhi

India’s virus cases surged another 32,695 as of Thursday, taking the nation closer to 1 million and forcing a new lockdown in the popular western beach state of Goa two weeks after it was reopened to tourists. The new confirmed cases took the national total to 968,876. The Health Ministry also reported a record number of 606 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 24,915.

The actual numbers, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons including limited testing. The Indian Medical Association, a voluntary organization of Indian doctors, said 99 doctors have died and another 1,302 are infected with the coronavirus.

It called for shortening of working hours for health workers following safety concerns. It also said the fatality rate among doctors was 7.6 percent, much high than the national average of about 2.5 percent, according to the Associated Press (AP).