The global coronavirus death toll has topped 3 million as the race for immunisation continues and countries such as India grapple with rising infections and new lockdowns.
Data released by Johns Hopkins University on Saturday showed 3,000,225 deaths and 139,963,964 cases globally.
The figures come as a new wave of the pandemic in India pushed the number of cases in the country to almost 14.5m, second only to the United States, which has reported more than 32m.
India recorded 234,692 new infections in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, according to health ministry data, the eighth record daily increase in nine days. Fatalities rose by 1,341 to reach a total of 175,649.
south Asian countries might have beaten the pandemic have been dashed with India recording more than 2m cases this month alone and Bangladesh and Pakistan imposing shutdowns.
After a national lockdown a year ago led to hundreds of deaths and one of the worst slumps of any major economy, the Indian government has been desperate to avoid a second stoppage. However, many states areclamping down, including Maharashtra, where the biggest city is Mumbai, industry-heavy Gujarat, and Karnataka, which is home to the IT hub Bengaluru.
Uttar Pradesh state, home to about 240 million people, announced on Friday that all villages and cities would be under lockdown for one day on Sunday.
In the capital, Delhi, which has overtaken Mumbai as the worst-hit Indian city, restaurants, malls, gyms and spas were shut for the weekend. Weddings can go ahead with guests limited to 50, while a maximum of 20 people can attend funerals. Movie theatres can open with one-third capacity.
Election rallies are also going ahead in the eastern state of West Bengal, with home minister Amit Shah attending two roadshows and one public meeting on Friday alone.
In state capital Kolkata, railway employee Samaresh Tapna fell sick after attending one such gathering and was admitted to hospital. “I felt angry with myself … I cursed my fate,” the 42-year-old told Agence-France Presse.❐
