New Delhi, June 6 (TIWN) With the biggest-ever jump of 9,887 new cases and 294 deaths in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 tally in India reached 2,36,657 on Saturday, a Health Ministry data revealed. The country has now overtaken Italy, which has recorded 2,34,531 cases.

The surge comes amid the first phase of unlock after a two-month shutdown even as the government plans to open religious places from next week.  Of the total cases, 1,15942 are active, and 1,14,072 have recovered, while 6,642 lost the battle against the pandemic so far.