The South Asian nation has the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 infections MUMBAI: India recorded 45,576 new cases of the coronavirus, taking total infections to 8.96 million, data from the health ministry said on Thursday. The South Asian nation has the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 infections, after the United States, but cases have been falling since hitting a peak in September. Deaths rose by 585, with the total now at 131,578, the ministry said.