Covid-19 cases hit 20-million mark despite dip in daily infection count.

But decreasing numbers offer slight hope of abating wave

India’s coronavirus caseload topped 20 million, but a drop in the daily infection count offered a slight hope that one of the world’s worst surges may be easing.

The South Asian nation’s plight is in stark contrast to Europe and the United States, where mass vaccinations have allowed the easing of many coronavirus restrictions.

More than 350,000 new cases were reported in India yesterday, a drop from the peak of 402,000 last week, giving some cause for optimism that the worst of the devastating wave may have passed.

“If daily cases and deaths are analysed, there is a very early signal of movement in the positive direction,” senior health ministry official Lav Aggarwal told reporters.

“But these are very early signals. There is a need to further analyse it.”

India’s healthcare infrastructure has struggled to cope with the huge number of cases, with deep shortages of medicines, hospital beds and medical oxygen.

Rickshaw driver Mohammad Javed Khan in the central Indian city of Bhopal turned his vehicle into a makeshift ambulance after he saw people carrying patients to hospitals on their backs as they were too poor to afford one.

“Even when (people) call ambulances, the ambulances are charging 5,000-10,000 rupees (RM287RM574),” said Khan, who sold his wife’s jewellery to equip the rickshaw with medical equipment.

“How will a poor person be able to afford it? Especially during this pandemic when most people don’t have an income?”

Bihar, a state of around 120 million people, yesterday became the latest Indian region to impose a lockdown.

The wave in the South Asian nation – spurred by huge gatherings including the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela – has highlighted the danger of Covid-19, which has already claimed more than 3.2 million lives worldwide.

Religious events are a threat in neighbouring Pakistan too, where authorities are battling a third wave of infections and urging Muslims to observe precautions during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Pakistani authorities have largely avoided clamping down on such religious activities in recent months even as markets and schools have been closed.

Leaders in Europe, meanwhile, were looking to take further steps towards recovery with a proposal to revive international travel and tourism as early as next month.

But in hard-hit Brazil, vaccine shortages have forced several large cities to suspend administering second doses of the Chinese-developed CoronaVac shot.