Health officials in India say the country's daily coronavirus count has surpassed 400,000 for the first time since the pandemic began reports NHK.

The Indian government posted a record daily count of 401,993 new cases and 3,523 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday.

A number of people in India are believed to have died without receiving medical treatment due to a shortage of hospital beds and medical-grade oxygen.

In an effort to curb new cases, the Indian government expanded its vaccine rollout program on Saturday to include all people aged 18 or older. Previously, only people aged 45 or above were eligible.

Local media estimate 600 million more people have become eligible following the expansion.

But the country is also facing a shortage of vaccines. Officials in some states say they are unable to administer shots to the wider age group due to a lack of supplies.

The Indian government plans to use Russian-made vaccines that it has approved for emergency use. It is also expected to receive vaccine materials from the United States.