India virus cases set to cross 8m

India's tally of coronavirus cases stood less than 10,000 away from the grim milestone of 8 million, as 43,893 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, data from the federal health ministry showed.

Totalling 7.99 million, India has the second-most number of confirmed cases after the United States, which has a tally of 8.7 million, reports Reuters.

The daily increase had been dipping in India since a peak in September, but health experts warn that the numbers could surge again during the ongoing Hindu religious festival season.

Deaths in India have been relatively low, totalling 120,010, out of which 508 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.