India has reported another record number of new Covid-19 infections, with daily deaths also hitting their highest in more than five months.
India has reported 131,968 new infections and 780 deaths on Friday – the biggest daily increase since mid-October. With a total of 13.06 million Covid-19 cases, India, the world’s third-highest after the United States and Brazil, has moved closer to Brazil's 13.28 million Covid-19 cases.
The government blames the resurgence mainly on crowding and a reluctance to wear masks as businesses gradually reopened since the middle of last year.
“We all know that it’s because of the casual approach that has been adopted unfortunately by the society and some sort of laxity everywhere in following the discipline of the COVID- appropriate behavior,” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told a news conference.
Addressing the complaints of a persistent vaccine shortage in India, the Health Minister also said on Thursday that there was no shortage of shots for the groups eligible for vaccination, with more than 43 million doses in stock or in the pipeline.
In addition, the country has fallen behind safety protocols, the most glaring example being election rallies, where politicians including Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah have greeted hundreds of thousands of supporters, most of whom were not wearing masks. The government has also refused to impose another national lockdown, but Modi said night curfews were an effective way to keep people alert.
India has reported 131,968 new infections and 780 deaths on Friday – the biggest daily increase since mid-October. With a total of 13.06 million Covid-19 cases, India, the world’s third-highest after the United States and Brazil, has moved closer to Brazil's 13.28 million Covid-19 cases.
The government blames the resurgence mainly on crowding and a reluctance to wear masks as businesses gradually reopened since the middle of last year.
“We all know that it’s because of the casual approach that has been adopted unfortunately by the society and some sort of laxity everywhere in following the discipline of the COVID- appropriate behavior,” Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told a news conference.
Addressing the complaints of a persistent vaccine shortage in India, the Health Minister also said on Thursday that there was no shortage of shots for the groups eligible for vaccination, with more than 43 million doses in stock or in the pipeline.
In addition, the country has fallen behind safety protocols, the most glaring example being election rallies, where politicians including Modi and Interior Minister Amit Shah have greeted hundreds of thousands of supporters, most of whom were not wearing masks. The government has also refused to impose another national lockdown, but Modi said night curfews were an effective way to keep people alert.
