The recent increase in COVID-19 cases in India has been led by Maharashtra,
Bombay:
Maharashtra reported 23,179 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, nearly 30 percent more than the previous day, amid a surge in COVID-19 infections in some parts of the country described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “second peak. emergent”.
Mumbai reported a large increase in COVID-19 cases with 2,377 new infections and eight deaths. Maharashtra reported 84 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Prime Minister Modi said swift action was needed to contain the increase, as the country’s infection count reached 1.14 million rupees, third behind the United States and Brazil.
“We need to stop the emerging second peak of the crown soon,” he said in a virtual meeting with top ministers on Wednesday, urging them to increase testing and strictly monitor the use of masks. “We need to take swift and decisive action.”
“In recent weeks, some 70 districts have witnessed a more than 150 percent increase in the number of cases and if we don’t stop the pandemic right now, it could lead to a nationwide outbreak,” he said.
Coronavirus infections fell to fewer than 9,000 new cases in early February, but have risen steadily since then, hitting 28,903 on Wednesday, the biggest increase since December 13. Deaths increased by 188, the highest in two months, to 1.59,044.
Prime Minister Modi said states must proactively ensure that infections do not increase in the countryside, where healthcare facilities would fall short. Rural India is home to two-thirds of the country’s 135 million people.
The central government has blamed overcrowding and a reluctance to wear masks for the increase, ruling out virus mutations that have been a factor in Western countries.
The recent surge has been led by Maharashtra, home to the country’s commercial capital, Mumbai.
Nearly 62 percent of infections in the past 24 hours and 46 percent of deaths were reported by Maharashtra, which ordered closures in some districts and put a stop to cinemas, hotels and restaurants until the end of the month.
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