India reports over 2.40 lakh new COVID-19 cases, death toll nears 3 lakh with 3,741 fresh fatalities

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New Delhi: India recorded over 2.40 lakh new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which took its total caseload to 2.65 crore, as per the Union Health Ministry's data on Sunday (May 23, 2021).

There were 2,40,842 fresh infections, besides 3,741 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours. The country currently has 28,05,399 active cases. The Union Health Ministry's data also revealed that country saw 3,55,102 discharges in a day as well. 

India is currently going through the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and has lost a total of 2,99,266 lives to the coronavirus infection so far.

Meanwhile, several states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, have extended the coronavirus-induced lockdown or curfew to curb the spread of the virus.

Additionally, BJP president JP Nadda has asked party-ruled states to prepare a programme for the welfare of children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic, and said it should be launched on May 30 when the Modi government completes seven years in power.

In a letter to chief ministers of the party-ruled states, Nadda also said that no event will be held to mark the anniversary due to the circumstances caused by the pandemic and instead various welfare programmes will be launched to express gratefulness to people to give the BJP opportunity to serve them.