NEW DELHI (Reuters): New COVID-19 cases in India hit a record 152,879 on Sunday as the country battled a second wave of infections by pushing for faster vaccinations, with some states considering tougher restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
India leads the world in the average daily number of new infections reported, accounting for one in six infections reported worldwide every day, according to a Reuters account.
Daily cases have set record highs six times this week, according to data from the federal health ministry.
Deaths have also risen, and the federal health ministry reported 839 fatalities on Sunday, the highest in more than five months, as hospitals and crematoria in parts of the country faced worsening conditions. the situation.
The index of more than 13.35 million cases in India is the third highest in the world, behind only Brazil and the United States.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a four-day “Vaccination Festival” to push more eligible Indians to receive a COVID-19 shot.
“During this time we need to move towards optimal utilization of the country’s vaccination capacity,” Modi said in an open letter.
The country has administered more than 100 million doses since mid-January, most after the United States and China.
But several states in India have complained about the shortage of vaccines, although at present vaccination is only limited to about 400 million of India’s 1.35 billion.
The second rise in infections, which has spread much faster than the first that peaked in September, has forced many states to impose brakes on activity.
The administration in the east of western Maharashtra, which is home to the financial capital Mumbai and has the highest number of cases in the country, said it could impose additional measures beyond a closure. week that will end early Monday.
“To break the COVID transmission chain, it is imperative to impose strict restrictions for a certain period of time,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities have blamed the resurgence of the virus mainly on overcrowding and reluctance to wear masks, even as massive election rallies and large religious rallies have continued in recent weeks.
Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Ganges River in the northern city of Haridwar on Sunday to pray in the morning during the Kumbh Mela, where up to five million are expected on certain days.
Authorities have forced all people entering the area to take COVID-19 tests. But many devotees gathered on Sunday by the river without masks, set in dense crowds.