India has reported 48,648 new coronavirus cases, continuing a downward trend in infections even as the country’s caseload has crossed eight million and is only behind the US.

The Health Ministry also reported 563 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 121,090 on Friday.

The slowdown in the pandemic in India has now lasted more than a month and the country has reported fewer than 60,000 cases for nearly two weeks.

According to the Health Ministry, India has 594,386 active cases, which suggests that more people are recovering than those who are testing positive for the virus.

People wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus shop at a market ahead of Hindu festivals in Jammu, India (Channi Anand/AP)
People wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus shop at a market ahead of Hindu festivals in Jammu, India (Channi Anand/AP)

But even as cases are dropping nationwide, the capital New Delhi is facing what could be a third wave of infections.

The national capital, which recently became the worst-hit city in India, is among the few regions in the country that is increasingly seeing a spike in new infections from last week.

New Delhi has 30,952 active cases of the virus.

HEALTH Coronavirus
(PA Graphics)

It has been clocking more than 5,000 cases daily from the last three days.

The surge in new infections comes at a time when pollution levels have started to soar in the capital, exacerbating respiratory illnesses among many.