The second wave of coronavirus shows no signs of slowing down

The coronavirus crisis in India is deepening, with hospitals bursting with increasing pressure from the second wave of infections.

The South Asian country reported 259,170 new cases and 1,761 deaths over a 24-hour period on Tuesday, according to government data. It is the sixth consecutive day that India’s daily number of cases has exceeded 200,000, while the daily death toll – still relatively low – is rising.

Cases have been on the rise since February, and by this month, India has reported more than 3.1 million new cases and more than 18,000 deaths. The total number of cumulative cases exceeded 15 million, making India the second worst infected country behind the United States.

“Because of the sheer number of cases, because of the increase, we see hospitals really overwhelmed – and that’s a challenge that we need to address,” K VijayRaghavan, chief scientific adviser to the Indian government, told CNBC Street Signs Asia “Tuesday.

Hospitals remove patients due to lack of beds – including critically ill patients. In some cases, unconnected patients are forced to share beds, according to media reports. Healthcare facilities also have low oxygen consumption, and the government has reportedly diverted oxygen to medical industries.

VijayRaghavan said the government is trying to address the stress on the medical system by moving health workers from one location to another and setting up emergency hospitals.

So far, India has withstood a second national blockade – last year the national blockade from late March to May disproportionately affected the informal sector and eliminated India from its growth trajectory.

However, states are stepping up social restrictions as severely affected places become partially blocked.

The epicenter of the second wave is India’s richest state, Maharashtra, which is home to the financial capital of Mumbai. The Western state alone has reported more than a million new cases since early April.

Maharashtra is already in a state of partial blockade until May 1. But reports say additional restrictions are expected, as the daily number of cases shows little signs of slowing down.

The national capital Delhi, as well as India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, are also among a handful of regions and states where Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

Delhi went into a six-day blockade on Monday, where only essential services would be allowed to operate.

Prime Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a virtual press conference that while it is generally against the blockade, keeping people at home in Delhi would help the local government to arrange more hospital beds and work with the federal government to increase oxygen and drug supplies. He begged people to notice the blockage and not come out unnecessarily.

Other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have also stepped up restrictions, such as the introduction of crooked night owls.

Serum Institute produces AstraZeneca’s shot, known locally as Covishield. The world’s largest vaccine maker has previously said its production capacity is “very stressed” and needs about $ 400 million to increase supply.

VijayRaghavan told CNBC that India is “fully aware that we are part of the global supply chain and that there is a moral, economic and pragmatic responsibility in balancing what we need for our people and what we need, our responsibilities in other side. And we’ll both meet. “

India has also recently approved a third emergency vaccine – Sputnik V, which is being developed in Russia. It also authorized foreign-made vaccines that have been given emergency approval by agencies listed by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan and the World Health Organization.