NEW DELHI — India's official coronavirus death toll leapt by 2,003 to reach 11,903 on Wednesday as Germany advised its nationals to consider leaving the country because of growing health risks.

As per the ministry data, the total number of cases stands at 354,065 including 155,227 active cases, 186,935 cured/discharged/migrated and 11,903 deaths. The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has increased to 52.79 percent.

Maharashtra remains the most affected state with the highest number of cases at 113,445, followed by Tamil Nadu with 48,019, Delhi with 44,688, Gujarat with 24,577, and Uttar Pradesh with 14,091 infections.

The pandemic has badly hit India's densely populated major cities and Chennai ordered a new lockdown from Friday because of a surge in cases.

Elsewhere, lockdowns are gradually being eased because of the damage they have caused the economy.

India, the fourth worst-hit country in the world by cases, has now recorded 354,065 cases, according to official figures.

Experts say the figure is much higher and have called for more widespread testing.

With hospitals in several cities now struggling to keep up with the pandemic, Germany became the first country to warn its nationals about staying in the country.

The German foreign ministry sent a message to nationals in India saying it “recommends that you and your families seriously consider whether a temporary return to Germany or another country with an assured health care system makes sense.”

The note said that while the lockdown was being eased “unlike in Europe, case numbers are still rising strongly. This increases considerably the risk of infection.”

The embassy said its medical experts believed that people with the coronavirus and other serious medical needs have “no or very little chance of being admitted to hospitals. This increases considerably the health risks of a stay in India.”

Hospitals in Mumbai have been overwhelmed by coronavirus cases, while the government has sent specially adapted railway carriages to Delhi and authorities have taken over hotels and banquet halls to put coronavirus patients. — Agencies