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India reported almost 2,300 new cases of nCoV in the past 24 hours, the largest daily increase since Covid-19 broke out in the country.
The Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today reports 2,293 new nCoV infections, bringing the total number of cases across the country to 37,366. Currently, the country registers 1,218 nCoV deaths, an increase of 66 compared to the previous day.
The state of Maharashtra, in western India, is affected by the heaviest Covid-19 in the country, with 9,142 cases and 485 deaths. The state of Gujarat and the National Capital Territory region, including New Delhi, also recorded high nCoV levels, exceeding 3,700 and 2,500 cases, respectively.
Indian health workers wear protective equipment before starting work at a hospital in Gauhati on May 1. Photos: AP.
India seems to have avoided the devastating Covid-19 scenario like other countries despite having the second largest population in the world. Experts say this could be due to India’s strict blockade of 1.3 billion people since March 25, when only 60 cases and 10 deaths were recorded. The Indian government says the number of infections could reach 100,000 without a blockade.
The nationwide blockade order in India has lasted almost 6 weeks and is expected to end later this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has allowed the resumption of some agricultural and industrial activities in rural areas least affected by the pandemic, after a blockade ordered millions of people to become unemployed, lack of food and shelter.
Modi repeatedly expressed his hope that poor people would sympathize and forgive him, because to avoid Covid-19, India had no choice but to block the blockade across the country. Modi said he felt extremely painful when he saw poor households struggling to earn a living and many people from other provinces were unable to return to their homes.
India’s Ministry of Health says it is using contact tracing and community monitoring to treat asymptomatic cases.
Ngoc Anh (The O CNN)
