India produces thousands of tonnes of oxygen a day but a supply crunch has impacted the capital Delhi. (Photo by= Getty Images) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] India has recorded more than 20 million Covid infections, but the government says that cases are "slowing down". BBC reported that the country added more than 355,000 cases on Tuesday, down from more than 400,000 daily cases on 30 April.
But testing numbers have dipped as well, sparking fears that India's true caseload is far higher. Case numbers, however, have been consistently falling in Maharashtra state, which had driven the second wave since early April. Meanwhile, an oxygen shortage has shown no signs of abating, and people in several hotspot cities, including the capital Delhi, are struggling for treatment. India's second wave, fuelled by lax safety protocols and massive public festivals and election rallies, has also overwhelmed its hospitals. Delays in testing, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as a shortage of critical care beds and crucial drugs, have resulted in a spike in deaths too.
Meanwhile, so far the country reported around 222,000 deaths. But experts say India's Covid death toll is vastly under-reported as official tallies don't appear to match what people are witnessing on the ground - long lines at crematoriums, mass funeral pyres, and cities running out of space to bury or cremate the dead. Many states have introduced restrictions, from full lockdowns to night curfews.