AP PICTURES: India is inundated with its massive virus surge
By The Associated Press
India is overwhelmed with hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases every day, causing many lives pain, anguish and pain as lockdowns have been placed in Delhi and other cities.
The Indian Ministry of Health reported 295,041 new cases with 2,023 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 182,553. India has registered 15.6 million cases since the start of the pandemic, the second highest after the United States.
Recently reported cases are more than 200,000 per day for a week – with people infected faster than they can be tested.
“This time, the infection is spreading so quickly that people don’t have time to get medication. A lot of people die before we can get a test report, ”said Dr. SK Pandey of the Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Many have blamed politicians for allowing super spreading events such as mass rallies to take place.
Religious leaders and hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus came to the banks of the Ganges River in the north Indian city of Haridwar for a major Kumbh festival last month. They believe that a dip in holy water will wash away their sins and prevent rebirth. A prominent Hindu religious leader died of COVID-19 shortly afterwards.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Secretary Amit Shah and opposition politicians participated in massive election rallies in five populous states with tens of thousands of supporters who did not wear masks or socially distance themselves.
Tens of thousands of farmers protesting new agrarian reform laws have been camping on the outskirts of the Indian capital in overcrowded tents and makeshift townships since November.
Modi attempted to boost in a nationwide speech Tuesday night by saying the government and the pharmaceutical industry were stepping up efforts to address the shortage of hospital beds, oxygen, tests and vaccines.
But, he admitted, “the wave of infections has come like a storm and a great battle lies ahead.”