India’s southern states face growing surge

Two southern states in India became the latest to declare lockdowns, as coronavirus cases surge at breakneck speed across the country and pressure mounts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to implement a nationwide shutdown.

At over 300,000, Karnataka’s capital of Bengaluru has the highest active caseload of any Indian city. But experts warn the worst is still ahead as India’s thirdlargest city buckles under oxygen shortages and overrun hospitals. In Tamil Nadu state, the lockdown announcement followed a daily record of more than 26,000 cases Friday.

On Saturday, India reported 401,078 confirmed cases, including a record high of 4,187 deaths. Overall, India has more than 21.8 million confirmed infections and nearly 240,000 deaths.

Modi has so far left the responsibility for fighting the virus in this current surge to poorly equipped state governments, and faces accusations of doing too little. His government counters it is doing everything it can amid a “onceinacentury crisis.”