The capital of India, Delhi, on Monday ordered a six-day exclusion as daily COVID-19 cases nationwide reached a new record and the health system crumbled under the weight of new infections.
Indian hospitals are struggling with a shortage of beds, oxygen and important medicines as infections have surpassed the 15 million mark.
“Delhi’s healthcare system can no longer take patients in large numbers,” Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a virtual press release on Monday.
“If an exclusion is not implemented, the situation will get out of control.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has canceled a planned trip to India next week due to the coronavirus, his office said. read more
Less than 100 critical care beds were available in the city of New Delhi, with a population of more than 20 million people, Kejriwal said on Sunday as social media was flooded with complaints.
Daily COVID-19 cases in India reached a record 273,810 on Monday. Deaths rose by 1,619 to 178,769.
Delhi goes into lock on Monday night.
It joins about 13 other countries across the country that have decided to impose restrictions, nightmares or locks in their cities, including India’s richest state Maharashtra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homeland, Gujarat, where the industrial city of Ahmedabad is also struggling. a shortage of beds.
Criticism has arisen over how Modi’s administration has handled India’s second wave of the pandemic, with thousands of parties and election rallies.
Leaders, including Interior Minister Amit Shah, will hold further road shows and public meetings on Monday.
Hong Kong said late Sunday that the Asian financial center would suspend flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines on Tuesday for two weeks. read more
As of Monday, India has administered nearly 123.9 million doses of vaccinations, the most in the world after the United States and China, although it is much lower in per capita vaccination.
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