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News > India

India Record's Highest Single-Day COVID-19 Infections

  • Gatherings of up to 100 people with masks will be allowed at entertainment, sports, and political events starting in September.

    Gatherings of up to 100 people with masks will be allowed at entertainment, sports, and political events starting in September. | Photo: EFE/EPA Divakant Solanki

Published 31 August 2020
Opinion

The UNDP estimates that "only 18 percent of the urban population have health insurance coverage."

India recorded on Sunday the world's highest single-day increase in COVID-19 infections as authorities reported 78.761 new cases.

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The country also has the fastest-growing number of recorded cases, with 3.5 million overall contagions. Hence, India has become the third worst-hit country by the COVID-19 pandemic, after the U.S. and Brazil.

However, in recent days the government has eased restriction measures to open up the economy since the country is heading towards financial collapse.

According to the Home Affairs, Ministry gatherings of up to 100 people with masks will be allowed at entertainment, sports, and political events starting in September.

Furthermore, metro services will resume gradually in major cities while domestic travels are permitted since July.

On the other hand, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned that the lockdowns imposed since March 25 "have brought economic activity almost to a standstill." The situation mainly affects the informal sector, which represents 80 percent of India's workforce, about 450 million people.

In May, India's government issued a $265 billion stimulus package. Nevertheless, the country is also dealing with a health crisis that was already urgent before the pandemic.

The UNDP estimates that "only 18 percent of the urban population have health insurance coverage." In a report published in May, the organization warned that about 1.3 billion people have access to only limited public health facilities.

Since the inequality gap indicates that 85 percent of the wealth is own by the top 10 percent of the population, there are concerns that most people won't be able to access sophisticated COVID-19 treatment.

 
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