KATHMANDU: India has become one of the five top countries with the highest coronavirus transmission cases in the world on Sunday, with 236,657 total cases and 6,642 deaths so far.

India reported a record 9,887 new coronavirus cases in a single-day on Saturday and overtook Italy as the country having the world's fifth-biggest outbreak.

More than 6.90 million people globally have been reported infected with the COVID-19. Near 400,000 have died as per Reuters tally.

India follows  United States (1,932,360 cases and 109,945 death), Brazil (672,846 cases and 35,930 deaths) Russia (458,689 cases and 5,725 deaths), United Kingdom (284,868 cases and 40,465 deaths) and Spain (259,164 cases and 27,135 deaths).

At the current rate of growth, India is likely to surpass Spain soon, it is being said.

Meanwhile, Nepal has reported 3,235 cases and 13 deaths with the majority of cases hailing from among the migrant workers who have recently returned from India.

Amid the fast-rising cases and deaths, India is all set to open shopping malls, restaurants and places of worship in a bid to save the economy crippled by COVID-19, starting June 8. However, there will be protocol in place that would need to be followed.

India is anxious to ease up the lockdown and send millions of people back to work albeit with strict guidelines despite some health experts cautioning against a hasty reopening.