India nears 9 million coronavirus cases

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.