COVID-19 | India reports record single-day deaths as Bihar revises tally after HC-ordered audit

India on June 10 reported record 6,148 COVID-19 deaths, a sudden jump from 2,219 deaths reported a day before on June 9, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (Representative Image)

India on June 10 reported record 6,148 COVID-19 deaths, a sudden jump from 2,219 deaths reported a day before on June 9, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This is the highest number of  COVID-19 fatalities reported in 24 hours in any country, so far, in the pandemic.  The United States of America had reported 5,444 daily COVID-19 deaths, a previous global record, on February 12.

India's  spike in daily infections has, however, been showing a downward trend and remained below one lakh for the third consecutive day on June 10.

The sudden jump in daily deaths is being attributed to the revision of the death toll in Bihar as reported on June 9 following an audit of deaths ordered by the High Court.

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The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government's daily health bulletin issued on  June 9 said that the state had reported 9,375 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. A day before, the state had recorded 5,424 deaths in 24 hours due to Coronavirus.

Thus, as many as 3,951 deaths, a jump of 72.8 percent from the figures reported a day before, were added. These deaths, reported across 38 districts of the state, were attributed to fatalities at private hospitals, homes, and post-recovery complications that was not recorded earlier.

The state government conducted a 20-day long audit death after the Patna high court flagged irregularities in death figures in Buxar district on May 17.

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Bihar’s Additional Secretary (Health) Pratyaya Amrit was quoted by Hindustan Times saying that the increase was due to deaths reported at private hospitals, under home isolation and of post-COVID complications. In the audit, four of the state’s 38 districts showed a rise of at least 200 percent in the toll.

Patna, for example, reported 2,293 daily deaths in the June 9 health bulletin. The Bihar capital had reported 1,223 deaths within 24 hours a day before, according to the revised numbers.

Kaimur district, which reported 44 deaths by June 7, revised it to 146 on June 8, a rise of 231.81%. Similarly, in Saharsa, the toll went up from 40 to 130, up by 225 percent.

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