India coronavirus cases jump by record as tally nears 3 million

A rickshaw puller rides along a street past closed shops after strict lockdown norms for weekends and public holidays were imposed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Amritsar on August 22, 2020. (AFP)

A relative wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) adjusts his protective face shield before the cremation of a man who died due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at a crematorium in New Delhi, India August 22, 2020. (Reuters)

A health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for COVID-19 in Hyderabad, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (AP)

People wearing face mask carry materials for delivery on a transport rickshaw in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. (AP)

• The 69,878 new infections take India’s total cases to 2.98 million
• The spike in cases has piled pressure on authorities to curb huge gatherings as a major religious festival began

MUMBAI: India reported a record daily jump of coronavirus infections on Saturday, bringing the total near 3 million and piling pressure on authorities to curb huge gatherings as a major religious festival began.
The 69,878 new infections — the fourth straight day above 60,000 — take India’s total cases to 2.98 million, behind only the United States and Brazil. COVID-19 deaths increased by 945 to 55,794, data from the federal health ministry showed.
For most of western India, especially the financial capital Mumbai, the 11-day festival of Hindu elephant-headed god Ganesh is usually celebrated with big public gatherings.
Cases have plateaued in Mumbai, which now averages just above 1,000 a day and has recorded more than 134,000 in total. But strict pandemic regulations have meant the festival season, which begins this month, has been lacklustre.