United States, Brazil and India – the three worst coronavirus-hit countries in the world – reported a record number of new coronavirus cases in 24 hours as of Friday morning. India’s count crossed 10 lakh according to government data on Friday, while Brazil’s caseload surged beyond 20 lakh on Thursday.

The US recorded 77,300 new coronavirus cases on Friday. This is the biggest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in the country so far. US’ tally has reached 35,76,221 and the toll has gone up to 1,38,358, making it the world’s worst affected country. More than 10 lakh people in US have recovered.

India, meanwhile, reported a record 34,956 fresh cases on Friday morning, taking its total to 10,03,832. The country’s toll rose to 25,602 with 687 new deaths. More than 6.3 lakh people have recovered.

On Thursday, the US government claimed that its testing capacity was more than any other country in the world. It also ranked India second. “So we’ve done more than any country in the world on testing; there’s no doubt about that 42 million tests,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. “The country with the next highest number is India at 12 million.”

The US has conducted more than 4 crore coronavirus tests so far, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. India, on the other hand, has done over 1.3 crore tests till date.

Brazil has reported 20,12,151 coronavirus cases and 76,688 deaths so far. The country has been reporting close to 40,000 new cases per day over the past few weeks. Close to 14 lakh people in the country have recovered.

On Thursday, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for the coronavirus for the second time. He was first diagnosed with the infection on July 7. The Brazilian leader has been criticised by health experts and several other people for showing complete disregard for physical distancing norms by attending rallies and meeting groups of supporters, often without wearing a protective mask. A top judge in Brazil had to order Bolsonaro to wear a mask in June.

The global coronavirus count has crossed 1.38 crore, while the toll is inching toward 6 lakh. The number of recovered patients across the world stands at 77,35,623.


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