India says COVID strains not behind sudden surge in cases

Officials say mutated versions of coronavirus not responsible for surge in cases in Maharashtra and Kerala states.

India says mutated versions of coronavirus were not responsible for a surge in cases in two states, a potential relief for a country where mask-wearing and physical distancing have largely disappeared. Maharashtra in the west and Kerala in the south account for 75 percent of India’s current active cases of about 147,000, and both states have seen a sudden rise in new infections in recent days, fuelling calls for a faster roll-out of vaccines. India has reported more than 11 million cases – the most in the world after the United States – and about 156,000 deaths. Actual infections have inched closer to 300 million in the country of 1.35 billion people, according to a random study of antibodies done by the government.