143 Million Cases and India's Worsening Pandemic

I’m pretty sure India has contributed a lion’s share of the coronavirus caseload this week. Yesterday, its daily share of cases was 35.7% – hence, the global tally has shot up again to 143 million cases. 

Yet, Indian authorities are stubbornly insisting the situation is under control. Even though the multiple news reports that I've read say otherwise. 

And Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India has been singled out. With a total of 851,620 infections and 9,830 deaths since the pandemic began last year, India’s most populous state (i.e. 240 million inhabitants) had not done too badly during the first wave that ravaged many other states. But the second wave has brought it to the brink. 

It is said to be among the worst affected in the country. Disturbing narratives of overcrowded testing centers, hospitals turning away patients and funeral pyres burning round the clock at cremation grounds in the state capital, Lucknow, and other major cities such as Varanasi, Kanpur and Allahabad have made national headlines. 

Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi (right) faces mounting anger as new cases exceed 250,000 a day and oxygen, drugs, tests and hospital beds remain in critically short supply in the worst-hit areas. 

Modi, however, said that despite the huge scale of the health crisis, lockdowns should only be seen as a last resort. 

He may wish to play down the pandemic but methinks, India is in a full-blown crisis!

With a 1.38 billion population, if India does not control the epidemic quickly, it may become the last country to get out of the epidemic worldwide.