For first time, daily coronavirus cases in India top 50,000

India on Thursday reported more than 50,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time, driven by a surge in infections in rural areas at a time when the government is further easing curbs on movement and commerce.

There were 52,123 new cases in the previous 24 hours, according to federal health data, taking the total number of infections to almost 1.6 million.

Some 775 people died of COVID-related conditions over the same period, raising total deaths now just under 35,000.