A barber wearing protective gear gives a customer a haircut at a salon in Mumbai. Photo: EPA
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https://scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3090997/coronavirus-india-reports-nearly-20000-cases-day-it-struggles South Asia
Coronavirus: India reports nearly 20,000 cases a day as it struggles to contain pandemic
- Over the past week alone, the South Asian nation has seen a jump of nearly 100,000 cases according to the health ministry
- With 548,318 confirmed infections, it is now the world’s fourth-worst affected country after the US, Brazil and Russia
Indian health workers wearing personal protective equipment arrive at a coronavirus hotspot in Mumbai. Photo: EPA
India reported its largest daily jump in coronavirus infections of nearly 20,000 on Monday as several states reimposed partial or full lockdowns to stem the spread of the virus.
Over the past week alone, India has seen a jump of nearly 100,000 cases according to the health ministry. In all, the country has confirmed 548,318 cases, making it the world’s fourth-worst affected country after the United States, Brazil and Russia. India’s death toll has reached 16,475.
The capital district of the northeastern state of Assam on the Bangladesh border has reimposed a full lockdown until July 12 following a spike in cases. Another border state, West Bengal, has extended its lockdown until July 31.
However, in India’s worst-affected states – Maharashtra, which includes the financial capital, Mumbai, and Delhi, home to the capital, New Delhi – most lockdown restrictions have been eased, with restaurants, shopping malls and parks reopened, and public buses and shared-ride services back on the roads.
A total of 231,095 people were tested for Covid-19 on Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research said – more than double the tests carried out daily a month ago.
Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh governments announced they would further scale up testing over the coming weeks.
Indian cities have emerged as major coronavirus hotspots, with Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai topping the list.
Maharashtra’s chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Sunday that a partial lockdown would continue but be gradually eased to enable more economic activity.
An aerial view of a slum in the Appa Pada area of Mumbai. Photo: EPA
Barber shops and salons in the state started opening Sunday with various safety measures in place.
Residents have been requested to keep within a 1.2-mile radius of their homes, a Mumbai police spokesman said. Movement outside this radius is allowed only for commuters and in the case of medical emergencies.
Cases have also spiked in Bangalore over the past few days. No activities except essential services and supplies would be allowed on Sundays from July 5, the government announced in new directives.
Indian stocks dropped on concern that increasing infections and the extension of restrictive measures in some states would hinder a recovery in Asia’s third-biggest economy.
Commuters ride along a street past closed shops following a strict lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the coronavirus in Amritsar on June 28. Photo: AFP
The S&P BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty 50 Index both fell 1.4 per cent as of 10:13am in Mumbai, set for their lowest close in more than a week. Still, both measures remain set for only their second month of gains this year and best quarter since 2009.
“Investors are pricing in the rising pace of infections, which is extending lockdowns at some states and companies,” said Sameer Kalra, an investment strategist at Target Investing in Mumbai. “June-quarter results will be very bad due to a bumpy reopening of the economy.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his country must focus on bolstering the economy as it exits lockdowns, even as the number of coronavirus cases still keep on climbing.
The pandemic has exposed wide inequalities in India, with public hospitals being overwhelmed by virus cases while the rich get expert treatment in private hospitals.
Additional reporting by DPA, Bloomberg