India's Daily COVID-19 Cases Exceed 120,000

Second Highest Daily New COVID-19 Cases Worldwide After the United States

On the 7th, a citizen is undergoing a COVID-19 test in Bengaluru, India. Bengaluru (India) = EPA Photo

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The daily number of COVID-19 cases in India has surpassed 120,000, showing no signs of slowing down. So far, only the United States and India have recorded more than 100,000 new daily cases.

According to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on the 8th, India reported 126,789 new COVID-19 cases on that day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12,928,574. This ranks third in the world, following the United States and Brazil. The death toll also increased by 685, totaling 166,862.

India's daily new cases had been steadily decreasing since September last year, dropping to around 8,000 in February this year. However, the spread resumed from mid-March, reaching 100,000 cases on the 5th and surpassing 120,000 just three days later.

Experts attribute the cause of this 'second wave' to the spread of highly contagious variant viruses combined with a lax attitude toward preventive measures among the public.

The New Delhi government has ordered private hospitals with more than 100 beds to reserve 30% of their total beds for COVID-19 patients. Additionally, some states, including New Delhi and Maharashtra, have urgently imposed nighttime curfews.

However, the federal government has not reissued a nationwide curfew due to concerns over economic impact.

Meanwhile, India is focusing on expanding COVID-19 vaccinations. Currently, India is using the domestically developed indigenous vaccine (Covaxin) by Bharat Biotech and the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine (Covishield) produced by the local vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII).

So far, out of a population of 1.3 billion, 90 million people have completed the first dose, and 11 million have received the second dose.

Prime Minister Modi is urging vaccination, but in states such as Maharashtra and Odisha, vaccination is delayed due to vaccine shortages.