The coronavirus pandemic has touched every aspect of Indian life as the country struggles to deal with a second wave of infections.

The country reported nearly 400,000 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday and 3,645 deaths from the virus, according to health ministry data, setting a new daily global record for both.

The country has surpassed 18 million confirmed cases with over 204,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

But true numbers could be bleaker. As the Associated Press reports, mortality data was already unreliable before the pandemic as many people died in their homes.

Experts say over-reliance on official data that didn’t properly reflect the extent of the infections contributed to authorities being unprepared.

The rapid surge in deaths has forced more makeshift mass cremation sites throughout the country. Hundreds of people are being cremated in funeral pyres in parks, parking lots and other temporary areas. Gravediggers have been working around the clock to bury victims.

Medical supplies from other governments have begun arriving in India. Britain sent 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, while France is sending eight large oxygen-generating plants. Ireland, Germany and Australia also contributed supplies.  

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department called on family members of U.S. government employees to leave the country.

“U.S. citizens who wish to depart India should take advantage of commercial transportation options,” the health alert stated.

Despite the surge, many of the 8 million eligible voters in West Bengal state still headed to the polls to vote in the eighth and final phases of state elections, Voice of America reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party were criticized for holding massive elections rallies ahead of the vote. Health experts have suggested that these rallies could have contributed to the record surge in those parts of the country.

Other political parties held similar rallies in the state.

The country’s vaccine campaign has also stalled with only 1.7% of its 1.4 billion population fully vaccinated. The country has struggled with a shortage of vaccines.

Check out The China Report, our new weekly newsletter. Subscribe here!