New Delhi: India has reported highest single-day rise in coronavirus infections since October 2020.

India, which is the world’s third worst-hit country India, has reported 81,466 new coronavirus cases on Friday.

So far the country has reported 12.3 million cases leaving it behind the United States (US) and Brazil in terms of countries affected most by virus.

India has also expanded its coronavirus drive to include those in the 45-60 age group amid spike in new infections.

Health experts have warned that cases are rising at a faster pace compared with last year when single-day cases spiked at almost 100,000 in September.

India has administered more than 65 million vaccination jabs to the elderly and other vulnerable groups but still the pace of vaccination drive is considered too slow for a country which has to hit the target of inoculating 300 million people by the end of July.

The worst hit state by the coronavirus has been Maharashtra, home to the country’s financial capital Mumbai.