India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who last year imposed a strict lockdown on short notice, asked states to avoid shutting businesses as the South Asian nation grapples with a new wave of Covid-19 infections that threatens a nascent economic revival.
The South Asian nation is now the world’s second-worst hit country, lagging only the US, after reporting more than 200,000 daily new infections for the last six days.
“I urge states that they should consider lockdowns as the last option,” Modi said in a televised address late Tuesday. “They should earnestly try to avoid lockdown and focus on micro-containment zones.”
As infections rise the country’s health system has been pushed to breaking point, with hospitals reporting shortages of everything from intensive care beds to medical oxygen. Soaring new cases have forced both India’s financial and political capitals to impose restrictions on movement, with New Delhi mandating a six-day strict lockdown starting Tuesday.
In images reminiscent of India’s first strict lockdown in late March last year where hundreds of thousands of workers fled cities, thousands crowded into bus terminals in Delhi earlier this week trying to get home after their income suddenly dried up with the new lockdown.
Meanwhile, least six of India’s 30 chief ministers, two federal ministers and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, have all tested positive for the virus in recent days.
The nation’s benchmark stock index fell to its lowest since end-January on Tuesday and the rupee is Asia’s worst-performing currency this month as India became the globe’s epicenter of the fresh outbreak.
In February, the central bank said it expects the economy to expand 10.5 percent in the year that began April 1 after an estimated 7.7 percent contraction in the previous 12 months.
Renewed lockdowns will cost the country 1 percent of gross value added in the April-June quarter and more if replicated by other states, according to estimates by HSBC Holdings Plc. Meanwhile, public finances will be hit by the rise in demand for social safety programs, weaker tax revenues and uncertainty about asset sales, HSBC economist Pranjul Bhandari wrote in a note published Tuesday.
Modi also said that his government is working with states and companies to augment supplies of medical oxygen and crucial drugs required to fight the pandemic.
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Take the example of the Indian VAX disaster ! The daily cases are 3,00,000 ,an increase of 30 times in 45 days ,AFTER STARTING THE VAX,
Y ?
The GOI CLAIMS that 100 million Indians,over the age of 55,have been VAXED – but are these humans CREATING THE ANTIBODIES to stop THEIR INFECTION ? Is the VAX having the impact and how long will it last – EVEN for the CURRENT mutations !
No one knows how many of the VAXED Indians have been INFECTED post VAX ! An ex- Indian PM who was vaxed 2wice is INFECTED.IT IS CERTAIN THAT PEOPLE BEYOND AN AGE AND/OR WITH MORBIDTIES ARE NOT GENERATING ANTIBODIES.
None of the Indians beyond the age of 55 who were VAXED had an RTPCR or Antigen test – to see IF THEY WERE INFECTED OR HAD THE ANTIBODIES – so that those INFECTED could have their families tested for COVID and VAXED.
The 300,000 daily cases are being infected AT LEAST IN PART by the VAXED 100 Million – which proves beyond doubt that EVEN THOSE with VAX antibodies,are SHEDDING THE VURUS and infecting the UNVAXED.
70% of the daily cases are LESS THAN 45 Years – which means that the HUMANS whose NATURAL ANTIBODY FUNCTION should work – has failed ! No other nation in the world has this statistical disaster.There is NO dount that the VAX will FAIL on this populace.
Meanwhile,India has LIMITED VAX capacity – and imported VAXES will not work !
The Indian Numbers are BOGUS – it is safe to say that the daily cases are at least 6-700,00 and if the next 100 million VAXES takes 60 days,then taking a growth of 5 % a day ,you will have AT LEAST 60 Million new cases.By the time of the 3 rd leg of the 100 million VAXES, the case load will EXCEED THE VAXED Population !
DISASTER !
It is BETTER for the GOI to disclose the ACTUAL DAILY CASE LOAD AND DEATHS.PANIC IN INDIANS WILL “AT LEAST” MAKE THE INDIANS TAKE THE VAX – WHICH IS THE ONLY INDIAN PLAN !
AND THAT PLAN WILL ALSO FAIL AS THE VAX WILL ALSO FAIL.
COVID HAS HAD 15 MONTHS IN 1,3 BILLION INDIANS TO MUTATE – AND THOSE MUTATIONS ARE “NOT FACTORED” IN THE VAX.IN REALITY,THE VAX HAS NO HOPE ! dindooohindoo