India’s daily COVID cases below 300k for first time in almost a month

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) – As India’s second wave of COVID continues to devastate much of the country, daily infections dropped below 300,000 on Monday for the first time in almost a month. It’s a sign that cases may have peaked, even though the average daily death toll stands at nearly 4,000.

The government is turning its attention to rural India, where almost two-thirds of the population lives, following a surge in cases. It’s calling on schools, community centers and government buildings to be used to treat COVID patients, while rural health clinics typically under-resourced, need to be stocked with beds and oxygen cylinders.

Most of India is now under lockdown. The capital, New Delhi, has extended its lockdown for the fourth time for another week, as case numbers continue to drop. Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally addressed the public late last week after being out of the public eye for more than three weeks, saying the government was on a war footing in tackling the pandemic and that as his country servant, he feels his people’s pain.

In the meantime, the government continues to try to silence its critics. Police in New Delhi arrested up to 15 people after posters went up around the city saying, “Mr. Modi, why did you send our children’s vaccines abroad?” The reaction by the government prompted a backlash on social media with the hashtag #ArrestMe to trending on Twitter.

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Skip to content