India tells states to get a grip before COVID-19 overwhelms hospitals

NEW DELHI - India's 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.