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NEW DELHI: India reported on Monday (September 28) that the number of coronavirus cases in the country had exceeded 6 million, as the pandemic spreads across the vast South Asian nation.
With 6.1 million infections according to the Ministry of Health, India is on track to surpass the United States in the coming weeks as the country with the most cases.
It has also recorded nearly 100,000 deaths.
The nation of 1.3 billion people is home to some of the most densely populated cities in the world and was long expected to record a large number of COVID-19 cases.
India has been adding 80,000 to 90,000 new infections every day since it began reporting the world’s highest daily increases since late August.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on people to continue wearing face covers when venturing out of their homes.
“These rules are weapons in the war against the crown. They are powerful tools to save the lives of all citizens,” Modi said in his monthly radio address.
The virus initially affected major metropolises, including the financial center Mumbai and the national capital, New Delhi, but has since spread to regional and rural areas where healthcare systems are fragile and uneven.
Despite the continuing progression of the disease, the government is unlikely to reimpose the blockade it has gradually lifted, after harsh restrictions hit the economy and ruined the livelihoods of millions of people, especially the poor.
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Some schools have reopened and trains, subways, domestic flights, markets and restaurants have been able to operate with restrictions.
Anand Krishnan, a professor of community medicine at the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, said the focus should be on treating people who contract the virus.
“The infection is well established in the community,” he told AFP.
“The only thing we can do is take care of sick people, identify them faster and treat them better. And follow the rules of social distancing. Beyond that, I don’t think anything specific can be done. “
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Some locals AFP spoke to in Delhi said that while they remained cautious, their fears about the pandemic had lessened since the beginning earlier this year.
“I’m away from home all day because of my job. I don’t leave home for anything else,” said Umang Chutani, a 23-year-old medical store worker.
“The future is uncertain, but one can only be cautious and follow all security protocols.”
Himanshu Kainthola, 61, who recovered from the virus last month after testing positive with two other relatives, said his family’s fears “have been reduced substantially.”
“We have made peace with him. We took the necessary precautions and invested in boosting our immunity instead of feeling anxious or afraid.”
Santosh, a creative writing student, added that the virus is now “part of our lives.”
“You cannot close all the businesses, because the economy cannot collapse … COVID-19 is not going to pay the rent,” he told AFP.
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