A worker arranges beds at a COVID-19 treatment facility newly set up at an indoor stadium in Gauhati, India, Monday, April 19, 2021. India now has reported more than 15 million coronavirus infections, a total second only to the United States. (Photo: AP)

NEW DELHI — India has reported a new record 295,041 coronavirus cases, as the death toll crossed 2,000 for the first time.

Even with hospitals struggling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advised state governments against imposing a harsh lockdown in favor of micro-containment zones as he sought to avoid another economic slump.

The surge in India has exacerbated the slowdown in global vaccination campaigns. India is a major vaccine producer but was forced it to delay deliveries of shots to focus on its domestic demand. So far, India has administered over 130 million doses of vaccines in a nation of nearly 1.4 billion since mid-January.

Overall, India has reported more than 15.6 million confirmed cases, the second highest behind the United States. The number of deaths stood at 182,553.