The Latest: India virus count tops 600,000 amid recent surge

NEW DELHI — The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in India has topped 600,000, with health authorities reporting 19,148 new cases in the past 24 hours.

As of Thursday, India's virus tally stood at 604,641 infections, with 100,000 of those infections reported in the past four days.

India’s Health Ministry said the death toll from the virus was now 17,834 people.

The worst hit three states, including those home to the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, account for more than 60% of the country’s cases.

Despite the surge in infections, the western beach of state of Goa, a popular backpacking destination, opened for tourism on Thursday with the state government allowing 250 hotels to reopen after more than three months. Tourists will either have to carry COVID-19 negative certificates or get tested on arrival.

The state has so far reported 1,387 positive cases with four deaths.

Many industries and businesses have reopened across the country, and Indians have cautiously returned to the streets. Schools remain closed.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

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— A predicted surge in U.S. job growth for June might not last

— Closing bars to stop coronavirus spread is backed by science

— Trump says he’ll now wear mask in public, thinks it makes him looks like Lone Ranger

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

DARWIN, Australia — Australia’s Northern Territory has detected its first person infected with COVID-19 in three months, a man who spent time overseas and in a virus hotspot within the city of Melbourne.

Northern Territory Health Minister Natasha Fyles said Thursday the man returned from Melbourne on Monday before 36 suburbs in Australia’s second-largest city were locked down...