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India Tops 6 Million COVID-19 Cases

Anjana Pasricha

   NEW DELHI - India's tally of coronavirus cases topped six million on
   Monday as the country -- currently the second worst hit - continued to
   have the highest daily number of new cases in the world.

   With no let-up in sight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to
   follow rules that mandate wearing face masks. "These rules are weapons
   in the war against corona. They are potent tools to save the life of
   every citizen," he said in a monthly radio address Sunday.

   The virus has surged since public transport, businesses, markets,
   hotels, restaurants and bars reopened in most cities after India began
   easing its stringent lockdown. Two million cases were added in the last
   23 days.

   "We have seen the most rapid rate of rise of infections in the last few
   weeks and that testifies to the fact that our control strategies have
   not really been effective post the lockdown," according to K. Srinath
   Reddy, President of the Public Health Foundation of India in New Delhi.
   "There was greater laxity in wearing masks and in holding crowded
   events, giving the virus easy access to people. This could have been
   slowed down."

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