Modi calls for more beds, oxygen delivery

MAJOR CITIES GO UNDER WEEKEND LOCKDOWN

India registered a record 260,778 new Covid infections, including more than 24,000 in the capital New Delhi, as its major cities went into a weekend lockdown to curtail the pandemic surge.

With India now leading the world in the number of new cases — more than two million in the past month — the international Red Cross said the speed at which cases are rising across South Asia was “truly frightening”.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was impossible to know when the virulent new surge would peak.

“The situation is grim and worrisome,” he said, highlighting shortages of oxygen and hospital beds.

Vaccine production

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special pandemic meeting yesterday and ordered new measures to find beds and speed up the delivery of oxygen and drugs such as the anti-viral Remdesivir.

He also asked the officials to make efforts to utilise the entire national capacity, in the public as well as the private sector, to ramp up vaccine production.

Don’t panic, Kejriwal says

After a national lockdown last year ago led to an economic slump, the Indian government is desperate to avoid a second stoppage.

But Delhi joined Mumbai in ordering all but essential services to close.

Landmarks such as the historic Red Fort where tens of thousands of people would normally gather were deserted.

Police checked many of the few cars that strayed onto the streets of the city of more than 20 million people where restaurants, malls and gyms were all closed. “Don’t panic. All essential services will be available through the weekend,” Kejriwal said.

Maharashtra, which includes Mumbai, Gujarat and IT hub Bangalore’s home state Karnataka have also imposed restrictions on movement.

Festival ends after fears

The northern state of Uttarakhand has restricted gatherings to 200 people.

It exempted the huge Hindu Kumbh Mela festival in Haridwar but pressure has grown to halt the ritual bathing that has drawn up to 25 million people since January, including some 4.6 million this week alone.

More than 1,600 people tested positive for coronavirus in barely three days this week and one of the leading Hindu sects announced that it considered the festival now finished.