India recorded the sharpest increase in COVID-19 cases this week, as the number of infections rose by 67% and 1 lakh cases more than the previous week were registered in the country. 

The COVID-19 related death toll for the week also increased by 41%, recording a nine-week high of 1,239. The fatality rate; however, was lower than earlier periods of comparable daily case numbers. India registered more than 2.6 lakh new COVID-19 cases in the week from March 15-21, compared to 1.55 lakh registered in the previous week. This makes it the worst rise in the pandemic thus far. The previous sharpest weekly surge was 34%, which was reported from July 20-26. The cases then were nearly 80,000 higher than the previous week… (ET Healthworld – TNN, March 22, 2021)