India reports record 200,000 new covid-19 cases as outbreak spreads

India on Thursday reported a record 200,000 new coronavirus infections, becoming only the second country after the United States to reach such a staggering single-day toll.

The skyrocketing new cases have pushed India’s total infections to more than 14 million and turned the South Asian nation into a global epicenter of the pandemic, with few signs that the outbreak will ebb.

In the capital, New Delhi, authorities ordered some tourism and entertainment venues to be converted into coronavirus treatment centers as hospitals risk being overwhelmed. A nighttime curfew and other restrictions were also imposed in hard-hit Maharashtra state, home to India’s financial center, Mumbai.