The country reported a record daily number of nearly 153,000 cases of coronavirus on Sunday, with 839 new deaths, according to health ministry figures. India’s total number of cases stands at over 13.5 million – after the United States and Brazil alone – including nearly 170,000 deaths.
“Delhi is witnessing the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic,” Kejriwal warned. “The situation is worrying, the government is working to improve it.”
At least 57 doctors in New Delhi tested positive for Covid-19 this week.
About 37 doctors working at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the city gave positive results – having previously received both doses of the vaccine. Doctors have mild symptoms, but 32 are isolated at home, while five have been hospitalized to avoid the risk of infecting their families, a hospital spokesman told CNN. Hospital authorities are investigating the source of their infection, discovered on Thursday, and contacts are being tracked, the official added.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi (AIIMS) confirmed on Friday that at least 20 doctors were found to be infected with Covid-19. Two resident doctors who tested positive received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, AIIMS told CNN. All infected people have mild symptoms and are isolated at home, officials said.
The western state of Maharashtra is also a major concern. Eight of India’s top 10 worst-hit districts are in Maharashtra, including its capital Mumbai, officials said last week. Public spaces, such as parks, shopping malls, cinemas and religious centers, are closed in the state until further notice, and all restaurants can only serve restaurants.
Thousands of migrant workers tried to leave big cities, such as Mumbai, last year after blockades left them without jobs or pay, and locals fear a repeat of the scenario.
“Some sectors are, of course, more affected, which could lead to a migration of workers,” Hariharan Kumar, a lawyer in Mumbai, told CNN on Sunday. “They are afraid of losing their jobs and wages.”
“People are getting a little tired, but I think others are realizing that this is the best scenario,” he added.
India regularly administers more than 3 million vaccines a day, surpassing the daily launch of the United States and winning that of China, according to Oxford University’s research group Our World in Data.
Gaurav Preet Singh, 28, received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India in Ludhiana, Punjab, a state in northern India. The businessman told CNN that he feels “safe” now, after experiencing some side effects, such as fever and fatigue.
“It’s going well and a lot of people seem to be taking it,” Singh said. “It’s totally safe and it’s good – I can get back to normal.”
However, states such as Maharashtra, Odisha and Punjab have complained about the lack of vaccines, and several districts in Maharashtra have been forced to suspend inoculation, the state health minister said on Thursday.
Singh said doctors in his area had stopped administering vaccines to those under 45 due to shortages.
There are lax restrictions in Ludhiana, he said, with fire extinguishers at 9pm local time, but shops and hospitality remain open. Many people he knows who are not vaccinated get the virus, he added.
According to a senior administrative official in Mumbai, more than 70 centers in the city said they did not have vaccines available. The central government has said it is doing everything it can to help states, according to the health minister’s statement earlier this week.
“Don’t leave the vaccination center [sic] close while the doses are draining from the country, “he said.
On Saturday, Kejriwal announced a series of new restrictions in Delhi to combat the peak of coronavirus there.
This includes a ban on all gatherings (social, political or religious), a ceiling for weddings and funerals for 50 and 20 people, respectively, and restaurants, cinemas and public transport must be half open.
Delhi authorities announced on Friday that all educational institutions will remain closed until further notice.