The Health Ministry also reported an additional 1,124 deaths for a total of 94,503. The average of new cases has fallen by around 7,000 daily in the past week after reaching a record number of 97,894 on September 16.
India is still expected to become the pandemic’s worst-hit country within weeks, surpassing the United States, where more than 7 million people have been infected.
Sunday’s surge has raised the country’s virus tally to more than 5.9 million. India, however, also has the highest number of recovered patients in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. Its recovery rate stands at about 82%.
Health experts have warned over two major events next month: the legislative election in Bihar state, with nearly 72 million people eligible to vote, and a major religious festival season that includes huge congregations.