India's cases rise by over 400,000 despite lockdowns

India's total COVID-19 cases rose by over 400,000 for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday even as several states imposed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus. India's health ministry reported 4,092 fatalities over the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 242,362. Cases rose by 403,738.

The numbers brought the overall caseload to over 22 million and the death toll to 242,362 in the country reeling under the second wave of the pandemic, data released by the federal Health Ministry showed.

India has seen over 400,000 daily infections for the fifth time in a week and over 4,000 deaths for the second consecutive day.

India has become a global epicenter of the coronavirus, accounting for 46 percent of global cases and 25 percent of global deaths, theWorld Health Organization's weekly epidemiological report said last week.

Amid a crisis over medical oxygen and distress messages from patients, the country's Supreme Court has formed a National TaskForce to ensure adequate supplies of the life-saving gas to hospitals.

In recent days, many states in India have declared lockdowns as opposition leaders urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce nationwide curbs.

India, the second-most infected country after the United States that has 32.6 million caseloads, is in the grip of a second wave that began mid-February. The pandemic has claimed more than 3.2 million lives worldwide since it first emerged in late 2019.