In a distressing news, India has surpassed Brazil and is now the second worst-hit COVID-19 country in the world, trailing behind USA. The nation reported 16,89,912 fresh COVID-19 cases, its highest since the pandemic began in March last year.

Details:

India has left past Brazil with 1,35,27,717 total cases, with the latter posting a total of 1,34,82,903 cases. Currently, USA is topping the unfortunate chart of the worst-hit COVID-19 countries, with a total of 3,11,98,005 cases.

Another alarming news is that according to the MoHFW the total number of cases with the UK, South Africa and Brazil mutations of the variants is nearing 1000 (948 as of now). As of Monday, April 12, the country has surpassed 12-lakh mark for the total number of active cases.

The cases first broke the 1 million mark in September 2020, after which there was a significant decline. However, due to multiple factors such as negligence of masses in following the COVID-19 safety protocols, there has been a second resurgence of the COVID-19 cases.

States:

On Monday, April 12, 2021, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal and Gujarat all recorded their greatest number of daily cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Currently, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat are showing the average-7-day cases to 1.9-3.1 times their prior peak 6-day averages.

Currently states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan are accounting for 83.02% of the total cases being reported in India. Most of these states have imposed several restrictions and micro-lockdowns to curb the spread.

Tweets:

 

AIIMS Chief Tells Reason of COVID-19 Case Rise

Meanwhile, AIIMS chief Dr. Randeep Guleria spoke to Press Trust of India to share his insights as to why there’s an alarming rise in the COVID-19 cases across India.

According to him the new mutated variants of the virus is the reason why the outbreak cases are being compounded. “Earlier, if one sick person was able to infect around 30 per cent of their contacts, this time those getting the disease are infecting a larger number of people,” Dr. Guleria said.

Dr. Guleria also held people’s negligence on following the COVID-19 safety protocols as one of the reasons. He observed that the marketplaces, malls and places of non-essential activities are being crowded. In these places people who are “super-spreaders” who are infecting higher number of people.

Dr. Guleria told PTI, “Around February, when cases started to decrease, people became lax towards following Covid-appropriate behaviour as they thought the virus had become ineffective… So, the rate of spread of the infection is fast possibly due to the highly infectious and transmissible strains circulating.”

Top 3 worst COVID-19 hit cities in India

Mumbai:

The densely populated city of dreams Mumbai has been registering every-day highs in its daily COVID-19 cases. On Monday the city reported 6905 new COVID-19 cases. This was a small drop from the 9,986 new cases that were reported on Sunday.

The drop can be accounted not to the drop in actual COVID-19 cases being curbed, but because of lack of testing. The Maharashtra authorities have already imposed a weekend lockdown and other restrictions on weekday to curb the spread.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Health Minister, Mr. Rajesh Tope hinted on a complete state-wide lockdown, saying that the citizens of the state should mentally prepare themselves. At this point of time all that I would want to say to the residents of the state is that they should mentally prepare themselves for a lockdown,” Mr. Tope was quoted saying.

Also read: Maharashtra Government announces weekend lockdowns, night curfews to curb COVID-19 spike

Delhi:

On Monday, the national capital recorded 11,491 new COVID-19 cases, another high that the city was trying to evade. In a seropositivity survey that was conducted between January 11-21, it was found that 56% of the Delhi citizens have already been exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said, “I am not in favour of lockdown. I feel that lockdown is not the solution to Corona. [But] It should be imposed by any government when its hospital structure collapses.

Through lockdown, the pace of the spread of disease reduces. If you (citizens) cooperate and the hospital facilities stay under control, we won’t have to impose a lockdown in Delhi.”

Bengaluru:

Also known as the Silicon Valley of India, the Karnataka capital has been on an upward trajectory of COVID-19 infections as well. On April 12, Bengaluru reported another 6387 new cases, amassing the greatest number of COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has already enforced a state-wide night curfew in some of the cities in Karnataka to help with the curb.