Why has India reported a significant surge in cases of COVID-19?
Why has India reported a significant surge in cases of COVID-19?
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Public health experts indicate that lockdown measures in India ended too quickly, just as cases started spiking. The initial lockdown was in effect for 21 days from March 24, 2020, and was extended to May 31, 2020. Following May 31, 2020, the country opened up in phases, and only a few areas continued to place restrictions on movement. Crowded means of transportation, densely packed neighborhoods, and inadequate social distancing have contributed to a steep rise in infections, made worse by a premature end to the lockdown. The end of the lockdown has also sparked a mass exodus of migrant laborers back to their home states, which local health authorities worry has driven the rise in new cases. It's too soon to tell whether the spike in new cases has actually been driven by migrant laborers—increased testing availability has allowed for more cases to be detected, which may also contribute to the increased case count. Experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research noted that India has still not reached the peak of infections, and that cases are likely to continue to rise in the future.
Public health experts indicate that lockdown measures in India ended too quickly, just as cases started spiking. The initial lockdown was in effect for 21 days from March 24, 2020, and was extended to May 31, 2020. Following May 31, 2020, the country opened up in phases, and only a few areas continued to place restrictions on movement. Crowded means of transportation, densely packed neighborhoods, and inadequate social distancing have contributed to a steep rise in infections, made worse by a premature end to the lockdown. The end of the lockdown has also sparked a mass exodus of migrant laborers back to their home states, which local health authorities worry has driven the rise in new cases. It's too soon to tell whether the spike in new cases has actually been driven by migrant laborers—increased testing availability has allowed for more cases to be detected, which may also contribute to the increased case count. Experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research noted that India has still not reached the peak of infections, and that cases are likely to continue to rise in the future.
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What our experts say
Public health experts indicate that lockdown measures in India ended too quickly, just as cases started spiking. The initial lockdown was in effect for 21 days from March 24, 2020, and was extended to May 31, 2020. Following May 31, 2020, the country opened up in phases, and only a few areas continued to place restrictions on movement. Crowded means of transportation, densely packed neighborhoods, and inadequate social distancing have contributed to a steep rise in infections, made worse by a premature end to the lockdown. The end of the lockdown has also sparked a mass exodus of migrant laborers back to their home states, which local health authorities worry has driven the rise in new cases. It's too soon to tell whether the spike in new cases has actually been driven by migrant laborers—increased testing availability has allowed for more cases to be detected, which may also contribute to the increased case count. Experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research noted that India has still not reached the peak of infections, and that cases are likely to continue to rise in the future.
Public health experts indicate that lockdown measures in India ended too quickly, just as cases started spiking. The initial lockdown was in effect for 21 days from March 24, 2020, and was extended to May 31, 2020. Following May 31, 2020, the country opened up in phases, and only a few areas continued to place restrictions on movement. Crowded means of transportation, densely packed neighborhoods, and inadequate social distancing have contributed to a steep rise in infections, made worse by a premature end to the lockdown. The end of the lockdown has also sparked a mass exodus of migrant laborers back to their home states, which local health authorities worry has driven the rise in new cases. It's too soon to tell whether the spike in new cases has actually been driven by migrant laborers—increased testing availability has allowed for more cases to be detected, which may also contribute to the increased case count. Experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research noted that India has still not reached the peak of infections, and that cases are likely to continue to rise in the future.
Context and background
India's stringent lockdown measures helped to control the spread of COVID-19 and significantly reduced the rate at which infections doubled by more than half from 4 days to 10 days. However, lockdown measures were lifted right as the country reported a significant surge of cases, particularly populous cities like Delhi and Mumbai, and states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
India's stringent lockdown measures helped to control the spread of COVID-19 and significantly reduced the rate at which infections doubled by more than half from 4 days to 10 days. However, lockdown measures were lifted right as the country reported a significant surge of cases, particularly populous cities like Delhi and Mumbai, and states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Resources
- Covid case count nears 2-lakh mark, ICMR says ‘far away from peak’ (Indian Express)
- Global report: India reports surge in Covid-19 cases as lockdown eased (The Guardian)
- India Coronavirus Map and Case Count (NYT)
- Covid case count nears 2-lakh mark, ICMR says ‘far away from peak’ (Indian Express)
- Global report: India reports surge in Covid-19 cases as lockdown eased (The Guardian)
- India Coronavirus Map and Case Count (NYT)
