COVID ‘superspreader’? India warns against mass farmer protests

India’s daily tally of new coronavirus infections rose by 222,315 – the world’s highest 24-hour increase – government data showed on Monday.

Indian government leaders appealed to farmers to call off a mass protest this week for fear it could become a viral “superspreader” event as the country’s overall death toll from COVID-19 crossed 300,000 on Monday. Over a third of fatalities have died over the past three weeks during a devastating second wave fuelled by a new virus variant detected in India, mass political and religious gatherings, and lowering of the guard by the public, health officials and experts say. Now farmers have stirred fresh alarm by saying they will hold mass protests across the country on Wednesday to mark six months of their campaign against the deregulation of agriculture markets.