India’s coronavirus contracted cases seem to have overtaken even Italy with a single day spike being reported to more than 7000 cases. Reports of casing shooting up are coming from everywhere in India. Cases are reported more from Maharashtra and Orissa.

Currently, a nationwide tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases has, unfortunately, crossed a 1.6 lakh mark. This has put India on the world map for bad reasons- making it the world’s ninth worst-hit country by the deadly virus infection. The death toll has already surpassed China’s official count of 4,634 fatalities, according to the data by the Health Ministry’s official website.

Maharashtra has crossed the 35000 marks of the number of cases having contracted the Covid-19 disease. Kerala on the other hand could be worst but because there is a reported poor testing rate, the actual figures are not showing up.

Additionally, in Mumbai, a key city of Maharashtra, sick patients are sharing beds with each other, showing the lack of beds at the moment. There is no way they can adhere to any social distancing protocols and this might have already led to the widespread asymptomatic spread of the virus in an even bigger way.

Health workers are also adding up to the numbers of those being exposed to the virus. According to a formal briefing shared by Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, “India has reported 0.3 percent deaths per lakh population and the main reason for lowest fatality rate is a lockdown in the country and how India prepared for it.” Currently, India has counted for a total of more than 1 lakh cases of infection. Out of these, there have been 60,491successful recoveries and 4,167 unfortunate loss of lives. From 7.1% in March, India’s recovery rate is now around 41.6 percent.

While containment has been able to keep the spread to the minimum, according to the health ministry, there is a desperate need to ‘focus on prevention and early detection of cases, physical distancing as a ‘social vaccine’, use of face masks and covers in public places, and the maintenance of hand and respiratory hygiene.’

For a nation as big as India, these careful measures will help the economy to get back and starting running smoothly, and can also help those below the poverty line.

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