India surpasses 2 million cases
Health volunteers striking as virus surge shifts to rural areas
NEW DELHI— As India hit another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, crossing 2 million confirmed cases and more than 41,000 deaths, community health volunteers went on strike complaining they were ill-equipped to respond to the wave of infection in rural areas.
Even as India has maintained comparatively low mortality rates, the disease has spread widely across the country, with the burden shifting in recent weeks from cities with robust health systems to rural areas, where resources are scarce or nonexistent.
The Health Ministry reported 62,538 cases in the past 24 hours, raising the nation’s confirmed total to 2,027,074. It said 886 more people had died, for a total of 41,585.
But the ministry said that recoveries were growing. India has the third-highest caseload in the world after the United States and Brazil. It has the fifth-most deaths but its fatality rate of about 2 percent is far lower than the top two hardest-hit countries. The rate in the U.S. is 3.3 percent, and in Brazil 3.4 percent, Johns Hopkins University figures show.
The caseload in the country of
1.3 billion has quickly expanded since the government began lifting a monthslong lockdown hoping to jump-start a moribund economy. India is projecting an economic contraction in 2020.
Life cautiously returned to the streets of the capital of New Delhi and the financial hub Mumbai, which appear to have passed their peaks.
In other developments:
■ Cruise ships can resume operating in Italy starting Aug. 15. The government on Friday night gave the OK in one of its latest moves to boost Italy’s vital tourism industry, which has been pummeled by the coronavirus pandemic. The approval came despite COVID-19 infections being confirmed in passengers and crew in recently resumed cruises in other European nations. Norway decided to close its ports to cruises ships for two weeks after dozens aboard a cruise liner tested positive for the coronavirus.
■ Ireland’s prime minister has ordered regional lockdowns in three counties amid a surge of coronavirus cases. Micheal Martin said the restrictions will apply in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly and are in response to a “deep and urgent threat.” The restrictions begin at midnight and will last for two weeks.
■ The coronavirus infection rate in Australia’s hard-hit Victoria state has been “relatively flat” in the past week, a state health official said. Victoria registered 450 new cases and 11 deaths on Friday. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said almost a third of the latest cases — 139 — were health care workers.