India coronavirus: Testing in spotlight as recoveries improve

Infections have been steadily climbing in some of India's biggest cities

India says the number of total recoveries has outstripped active Covid infections for the first time.

The health ministry said data showed that more people had been discharged than new infections recorded.

India has recorded a total of 276,583 infections, the fifth-highest number in the world. But with 8,102 deaths, it has a relatively low fatality rate.

The news is being cautiously welcomed in local media, but it comes amid concerns that picture is more bleak.

A significant spike in infections in recent weeks has begun taking a toll on the healthcare system - and though India has ramped up testing, it is not uniform across the country, with some states testing much more than others.

For instance, the southern state of Tamil Nadu is testing more than 18,000 people per million, while the worst-affected state, Maharashtra, is only testing 4,688 per million. The national average is around 680 per million.

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Infections have been steadily climbing in the financial capital, Mumbai, and in the capital, Delhi, where officials have said that confirmed cases could top half a million by the end of July.

This has put a huge load on hospitals, with many alleging that patients with Covid-like symptoms are being turned away from private institutes due to a lack of space.

The issue is being compounded by the fact that not many people are willing to go to state hospitals despite them having some beds free.

Both Delhi and Mumbai are trying to free up more beds in private and state-run hospitals, but have warned people to take precautions and stay home as much as possible.

Meanwhile, officials in the southern city of Chennai (formerly Madras) have launched an inquiry after it emerged that its death toll was underreported.

A "preliminary" survey of the city's records have shown that at least 200 deaths have not been reflected in official data, although authorities say they do not believe the discrepancy is intentional.