As the coronavirus cases in India continue to spread rapidly, India is now just behind the United States and Brazil in terms of the total confirmed cases as it already overtook Russia to take the third spot in the list of worst-hit nations in the world affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). It is, therefore, also the biggest epicenter of the coronavirus disease pandemic in Asia.

With over 22,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count on Tuesday crossed the 7 lakh-mark, while the death toll has crossed the 20,000-mark as well.

At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in the country has reached 7,19,665 cases, which include 2,59,557 active cases; 4,39,948 cured, discharged, or migrated patients, and 20,160 deaths.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as many as 22,252 new COVID-19 cases and 467 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, marking a significant spike.

Maharashtra continues to be the epicenter of the coronavirus spread where the number of cases has witnessed an even large spike recently. According to the Health Ministry, Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with 2,11,987 positive cases of COVID-19 infection and 9,026 deaths. 

Notably, Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, has become the hotbed of the coronavirus spread in the state where the number of cases has crossed the 85,700-mark and the death toll has topped the 4,900-mark as well. At 9:30 AM on this day, the COVID-19 tally in Mumbai showed 85,724 cases and 4,938 deaths.

One of the real challenges in Mumbai is controlling the disease contamination in Asia's biggest slum -- Dharavi, which is an extremely densely-populated region.

Maharashtra is followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,14,978 cases. The state crossed Delhi to take up second place in the list due to a recent massive surge in the number of cases.

The national capital is third on the list with 1,00,823 cases.

After Delhi comes Gujarat, where the COVID-19 figure stands at 36,858 cases with 26,323 patients recovered and 1,961 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 28,636 cases of which 19,109 have recovered and 809 patients are dead.

West Bengal has reported 22,987 positive cases so far of which 15,235 patients have recovered and 779 patients have lost their lives due to the virus. In Rajasthan, as many as 20,922 people have confirmed COVID-19, of which 16,320 recovered and 465 people succumbed to it.

In Kerala, which reported the country's first COVID-19 case, 5,623 people have been detected positive for coronavirus so far.

The total number of samples tested up to July 6 is 1,02,11,092 of which 2,41,430 samples were tested yesterday, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The Health Ministry said that the Union Government has emphasised on increasing testing, prompt contact tracing, and timely clinical management of the COVID19 cases.

The central government still keeps denying that community transmission is taking place in India.