NEW DELHI —
India recorded more than 4,000
coronavirus deaths in a day
for the first time and more states imposed lockdowns Saturday in a desperate
bid to halt the devastating new surge.
اضافة اعلان
The 4,187 new deaths took India's overall toll to 238,270
since the pandemic started. It added another 401,078 new cases in 24 hours
taking its caseload to nearly 21.9 million — second only to the United States.
Experts, who have expressed doubts about the official death
toll, say the new wave may not hit a peak until the end of May and there have
been mounting calls for tough nationwide measures.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party,
called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a national lockdown or the
spread could be "devastating" for India and other countries.
Britain has already declared a new variant found in India to
be of "concern".
The government, stung by criticism of its handling of the
new crisis, has largely left individual state administrations to handle
pandemic clampdowns.
While major cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai have been
boosted by extra supplies of oxygen -- much of it from abroad -- and new
hospital beds opened up, the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and
Kerala have all ordered lockdowns to counter an explosion in cases.
Karnataka, which includes the major IT hub of Bangalore, has
ordered a statewide two-week lockdown from Monday in a bid to halt the spread
of the virus.
The state added more than 48,000 cases in a day with Bangalore,
home to many Indian and global information technology giants, bearing the
brunt.
The city of nine million people, which saw 1,907 coronavirus
deaths in April, has recorded more than 950 just in the first seven days of
May.
A lack of oxygen and critical care beds is being blamed for
the dramatic rise in the death rate.
Neighboring
Kerala, which is adding about 40,000 cases a
day, started a nine-day lockdown from Saturday. Tamil Nadu, which includes the
major city of Chennai, will start a 10-day lockdown from Monday.
Coronavirus cases and deaths have also shot up in West
Bengal state since its election, which was marked by huge rallies organized by
Modi and his arch-rival, state chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
The main city, Kolkata, also has a critical shortage of
oxygen and beds.
The Hindu nationalist government imposed a three month
nationwide lockdown last year which helped halt the spread of the first major
wave, but also caused huge economic damage.
There are fears that the new surge could undermine the
recovery in Asia's third biggest economy.
The growing death toll has added to pressure for the
government to act however.
Gandhi said in his letter to the prime minister that
"your government's lack of a clear and coherent COVID and vaccination
strategy ... has placed India in a highly dangerous position."
Modi had "to understand India's responsibility in a globalized
and interconnected world" as "home to one out of every six human
beings on the planet."
"Allowing the uncontrollable spread of this virus in
our country will be devastating, not only for our people, but for the rest of
the world."
The government did not immediately respond.
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