India registers 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases, 1,761 deaths in 24 hours

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: India registered 2,59,170 new COVID-19 cases and 1,761 deaths in the last 24 hours, the data by the Union Health Ministry showed on Tuesday (April 20, 2021) morning.

As per the official figures, there were also 1,54,761 coronavirus recoveries between Monday and Tuesday morning. 

India now has a total of 1,53,21,089 COVID-19 infections, of which, 20,31,977 are active cases. The country has so far witnessed 1,80,530 coronavirus-related fatalities.

Earlier on Sunday, India had reported 2.61 lakh new cases followed by 2.73 lakh infections on Monday. India, notably, is the second-worst coronavirus-hit country in the world. 

The prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country has also led PM Narendra Modi to cancel his visit to France and Portugal. The Prime Minister was to travel to Portugal for the 16th India-EU summit that was scheduled to take place on May 8, following which he was slated to travel to France for a bilateral visit. The India-EU summit will now take place virtually. 

Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to India was also cancelled again due to a spurt in the COVID-19 cases.

In response to the media queries on the upcoming visit of the UK PM, the Indian MEA stated, "In view of the prevailing Covid situation, it has been decided by mutual agreement that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will not visit India next week." 

The official statement added that the two sides will be holding a virtual meeting in the coming days to launch plans for a transformed India-U.K. relationship. 

Johnson's visit to India was scheduled for April 26 and would have been his first visit abroad since the UK left the European Union.