2nd Covid-19 wave tightens grip with 126,000 new infections in India
New Delhi, Apr 8 (efe-epa).- India Thursday added a record-high of more than 126,000 new Covid-19 cases as authorities struggle to contain the second coronavirus wave that has tightened its grip on the country.
The federal health ministry said 126,789 new patients tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours from Wednesday morning.
Some 685 lost their lives to the virus disease during the period, taking the overall tally of Covid-19 fatalities to 166,862.
The overall caseload in India has now reached 12.9 million, the third-highest in the world after the United States (with 31 million infections) and Brazil (13.1 million).
India has been struggling with the second wave of the virus outbreak with a steep rise in the daily numbers after infections had plummeted to less than 10,000 cases and 100 deaths a day in February.
The daily average for the last seven days in India is more than 80,000 cases per day.
The alarming rise has forced some Indian states to impose restrictions like night curfews, but a nationwide lockdown like the last year is unlikely.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Modi urged Indians to get vaccinated to fight the virus.
“Got my second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Vaccination is among the few ways we have, to defeat the virus. If you are eligible for the vaccine, get your shot soon,” the prime minister tweeted.
Everyone over 45 can get vaccinated in the country that began its inoculated drive in January.
More than 90 million health workers and other citizens have received at least one shot so far.
The country of 1.35 billion people plans to vaccinate 300 million before July this year. EFE-EPA
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