COVID-19 cases surge in India

By Agency Reporter

COVID-19 cases in India topped six million on Monday as they surged closer to world leader United States humongous numbers.

Health ministry data showed a rise of 82,000 cases on Monday, taking the total to 6.1 million and closing the gap on the United States, which has recorded 7.1 million infections.

With daily cases of between 80,000 and 90,000, India could leapfrog the US in the coming weeks.

However, India has a much lower death rate than other worst-hit nations with almost 100,000 fatalities so far.

This is fewer than half the grisly toll of 205,000 recorded in the US, which has roughly a quarter of the population.

Brazil has meanwhile recorded 140,000 deaths.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on people to keep wearing face coverings when they ventured outside of their homes.

“These rules are weapons in the war against corona. They are potent tools to save the life of every citizen,” Modi said during his monthly radio address on Sunday.

The virus initially hit major metropolises including financial hub Mumbai and capital New Delhi, but has since spread to regional and rural areas where healthcare systems are even more fragile and patchy.

“In several of the pockets where the transmission is active, the infection has gone into the community,” former national health secretary Sujatha Rao said.

“It is difficult to control transmission in such situations and a dramatic turnaround can perhaps be possible only through a rigorous implementation of a lockdown and preventive measures like mask wearing.”

The government is unlikely to reimpose major restrictions after a lockdown in March battered the economy and wrecked the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly the poor.

Some schools have now reopened, and trains, metros, domestic flights, markets and restaurants have been allowed to operate with some restrictions. The Taj Mahal also opened again for tourists this month.