India set another record for daily Covid-19 deaths even as infections have declined further.

The country’s health ministry on Wednesday reported 4,529 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall toll to 283,248.

India has also confirmed 267,334 new infections, with daily cases falling below 300,000 for the third day in a row.

Both figures are almost certainly underestimated.

An Indian woman receives a dose of Covishield, the AstraZeneca version of the Serum Institute of India's vaccine, while others wait their turn in Bengaluru, India (Aijaz Rahi / AP)
An Indian woman receives a dose of Covishield, the AstraZeneca version of the Serum Institute of India’s vaccine, while others wait their turn in Bengaluru, India (Aijaz Rahi / AP)

Even though overall cases in India have shown signs of decreasing slightly, deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still overwhelmed with patients.

Over the past month, deaths from Covid-19 in India have increased sixfold.

India’s vaccination campaign is also running out of steam when it is most needed.

The number of daily doses of the vaccine has dropped by about half over the past six weeks, from a high of four million a day on April 2 to about two million a day or less this week.

India has the second-highest number of cases after the United States with more than 25 million confirmed infections.