Fix Lapses "Right Now" Or Face "Heavy Costs": Centre To States On Covid

India's current caseload of 12.1 million ranks third behind only the United States and Brazil, with testing unable to keep up with demand. The daily rise in cases has quadrupled in the space of a month.

The Union Health Secretary bluntly told the 28 federal states on Tuesday to get a grip on lax coronavirus prevention measures "right now" to prevent healthcare systems being overwhelmed by a surge in infections. India's current caseload of 12.1 million ranks third behind only the United States and Brazil, with testing unable to keep up with demand. The daily rise in cases has quadrupled in the space of a month. "The current rise in cases ... has the potential of overwhelming healthcare systems unless checked right now," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter to the states. "Many districts in the country are seeing clusters of cases emerging because of specific events and/or places where crowding happens, or where a large number of people are in close contact coupled with a lack of a COVID-appropriate behaviour."