India reported the largest increase in coronavirus cases since 2020 as multiple states lifted some restrictions on public gatherings.
Such as the Associated Press reports, India’s Ministry of Health registered 43,846 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the worst one-day increase since November last year.
More than half of the new infections are found in the central state of Maharashtra, where India’s financial capital Mumbai is located. Maharashtra has imposed new lockdown measures until the end of March, the AP reports and Mumbai authorities have announced that they will begin conducting arbitrary required coronavirus tests in crowded spaces.
Seven other states are reporting major spikes in business, the AP reports, leading some to impose targeted lockdowns on restaurants and schools.
According to health experts, the rise is fueled by increased public gatherings and a relaxed attitude towards public health advice.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, India has confirmed 11.6 million coronavirus cases, third in the world after the US and Brazil, and killed nearly 160,000. The country has also administered nearly 35 million vaccines against the coronavirus.
AstraZeneca’s and COVAXIN’s coronavirus vaccines have been approved for use in India. The COVAXIN Injection was approved before the release of efficacy data. As the BBC reports, phase three studies have shown it to have an 81 percent efficacy rate in stopping COVID-19.