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‘Big battle lies ahead’: India being overrun by huge COVID surge

Country overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of new cases daily, bringing pain, fear and agony amid lockdowns in New Delhi and other cities.

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A man waits for the cremation of a relative who died of COVID-19, placed near bodies of other victims, in New Delhi. [AP Photo]
By AP
Published On 21 Apr 2021

India has been overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases daily, bringing pain, fear and agony to many lives as lockdowns have been placed in capital New Delhi and other cities.

India’s health ministry reported 295,041 new cases on Wednesday with 2,023 deaths, taking total fatalities to 182,553. India has since the start of the pandemic recorded 15.6 million cases, the second-highest behind the United States.

Newly reported cases have exceeded 200,000 each day for a week – with people being infected faster than they can be tested.

“This time, infection is spreading so fast that people are not getting time to get medicines. Many people are dying before we can get a test report,” said Dr SK Pandey of Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Many have blamed politicians for allowing superspreader events such as mass religious gatherings and election rallies to take place.

Religious leaders and hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus descended on the banks of the Ganges River in the northern Indian city of Haridwar last month for the Kumbh Mela (pitcher festival). They believe that a dip in holy water will wash away their sins and prevent rebirth.

One prominent Hindu religious leader died of COVID-19 shortly after.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah as well as opposition politicians took part in mass election rallies in five populous states, with tens of thousands of their supporters not wearing masks or social distancing.

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Tens of thousands of farmers demanding repeal of new agricultural laws have been camping on the outskirts of the Indian capital in crowded tents and makeshift townships since November.

Modi tried to boost spirits in a nationwide address on Tuesday night by saying the government and the pharmaceutical industry were stepping up efforts to meet the shortages of hospital beds, oxygen, tests and vaccines.

But, he admitted, the “surge in infections has come like a storm, and a big battle lies ahead”.

Health workers rest in between cremating COVID-19 victims in New Delhi. India has been overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases daily, bringing pain, fear and agony to many lives as lockdowns have been placed in cities around the country. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]
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A worker cleans a newly set up COVID- 19 hospital at the Science Centre in Mumbai. [Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo]
People watch from a distance as a worker cremates the body of their relative who died of COVID-19 in New Delhi. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]
A COVID-19 patient waits inside an autorickshaw to be attended to and admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 government hospital in Ahmedabad. [Ajit Solanki/AP Photo]
A notice informing about the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines is displayed at the entrance of a vaccination centre in Mumbai. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
An elderly woman waits to receive the vaccine for COVID-19 at a vaccination centre in Mumbai. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
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Empty tankers are loaded on a train wagon at the Kalamboli goods yard in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra state, before they are transported to collect liquid medical oxygen from other states. The western state, which is worst hit by the coronavirus is facing a shortage of the gas used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
Health workers carry patients to shift them from a dedicated COVID-19 hospital to another hospital to vacate the bed for new patients, at a government hospital in Ahmedabad. [Ajit Solanki/AP Photo]
A health worker takes a swab sample to test for COVID-19 as others await their turn at a hospital in the southern city of Hyderabad. [Mahesh Kumar A/AP Photo]
People wearing masks as a precaution against the coronavirus stand in queues to board trains at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai. [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
Supporters of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) participate in an election rally ahead of the third phase of West Bengal state elections in Kolkata on April 5, 2021. India’s election authorities announced voting in five states, starting massive campaign rallies and roadshows by PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah as well as opposition politicians, with tens of thousands of supporters attending with no masks and social distancing. [Bikas Das/AP Photo]
Migrant workers cross a pedestrian bridge leading to a bus station as they walk to board buses for their respective villages following a six-day lockdown that started on Monday night in New Delhi. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]
Health workers prepare to take out the bodies of six victims of COVID-19 from an ambulance for cremation in New Delhi. [Manish Swarup/AP Photo]
A street is seen deserted during the weekend lockdown in Mumbai. [Rajanish Kakade/AP Photo]